Pet owners are being warned to be vigilant after a cat was found mutilated in Chatham.

Animals Lost and Found in Kent say they were alerted to a dead cat in Chatham, and found that the animal had been cut several times with a sharp blade.

The injuries are thought to be similar those suffered by other animals attacked by the so-called M25 cat killer, who is believed to have struck hundreds of times over the last two years, mostly in London and Kent.

The animal charity, which works to reunite missing pets with their owners, posted the incident on its website, saying it was apparent that the cat wasn’t involved in any type of accident.

"Unfortunately this baby had been mutilated by a human being, the cat had injuries that would be consistent with someone using a very sharp blade to cut the cat in certain places," said the charity.

"We took photographic evidence and placed the cat into an evidence bag whilst trying not to disturb any evidence. We then contacted the police under the operation ‘Takahe’ and obtained a crime reference number for the incident. After getting the reference number we contacted our police contact at Kent Police and then our partner SNARL (South Norwood Animal Rescue Liberty) to alert them to our findings. Snarl are dealing with an animal killer that is going around mutilating animals, we have been their Kent hub to attend and collaborate with them and Kent Police."

They say the cat, which was found on Thursday, was chipped and the charity has since alerted the owner.

And while there have only been a few cases in Kent so far, the attack is not a one-off - and Animals Lost and Found is calling on people to be vigilant, report anything suspicious and keep pets indoors at night.

"If you do find a deceased animal in the Kent area and you aren’t sure on what you need to do then please get in touch with us," they added. "We will collect and check the animal for a chip to try and trace the owners. You can also get in touch with Snarl by using the phone numbers in the poster below."

Contact Animals Lost and Found in Kent on 07803 322297, or call SNARL on 07961 030064.