There are fears a “cat killer” is prowling Kent after schoolchildren found a pet decapitated in an elderly resident’s garden.

Vets told distraught owner Michele Mink they believe three-year-old Manny was butchered with a blade in Palm Bay, near Margate.

The 61-year-old says her cat was beheaded and had its tail skinned to the bone before being “placed” in a front garden “for people to see”.

Horrified youngsters made the gory discovery in Springfield Road on Monday morning as they walked to school and alerted the elderly resident about the disturbing find.

No blood was found at the scene and Manny’s legs had been stretched out, which Mrs Mink believes means he had been killed elsewhere, slaughtered and laid out in the garden.

Police are probing the incident and a group of amateur sleuths who investigate animal killings have got involved, amid fears the cat killer’s crimes could escalate.

Mrs Mink says Manny usually returns home before 10pm but she stayed up until 3am waiting for him to arrive back.

After sharing his picture on Facebook, she walked around the area and asked residents if he had been spotted.

She spoke to some builders working on a driveway in Springfield Road who told her a neighbour had found a dead cat on her grass that morning.

“An upset elderly lady came out and said schoolchildren had knocked on her door to tell her there was a dead cat in her garden,” Mrs Mink said.

“He had been placed on the edge of the front garden garden and pathway so if she had wanted to get into her car, she would have stepped on him.

“His legs were stretched out and his head was missing, which has not been found, while his tail had been stripped of its fur.

“It is almost like he was placed there for people to see.”

Manny’s body was taken to Briar House Veterinary Surgery in Broadstairs where his injuries were examined.

“The vets confirmed it was done by human hands as you could see knife cuts,” Mrs Mink added.

“There are alleys near where I live and I have been informed these are where people try to trap cats.

“I can imagine he was coming home and somebody grabbed him.

“The vet says the head was cut off after he died because the blood was congealed.

“Where he was found, there was no blood anywhere, including in the road.”

Speculation was rife on Facebook about how the cat was killed, with some suggesting a fox could have done it.

But Mrs Mink insists she was told by vets the injuries were inflicted with a sharp object.

“They skinned his tail, not just the fur,” she said.

“It could be someone living locally.

“I think they are sick and it is horrendous to do something like this.

“They have waited up to an hour to decapitate him.

“I am disgusted and I cried so much but then anger takes over.

“I want this put out there especially if it has happened before and people have put it down to foxes.”

Those living in the area commented on Mrs Mink’s Facebook post about the killing to say they had locked their cats away.

She says it is a “quiet area” and people are “distraught” by the incident.

And there are fears the crimes could escalate into something far worse.

“When people do this, I then worry about the kids,” Mrs Mink said.

“I worked in mental health years ago and it always started with animal torture but then it goes further and it can progress.

“If you look in history, people who commit these sorts of crimes, they commit other crimes.”

South London Animal Investigation Network, a group of volunteers which investigates pet killings across the country, is involved in the investigation after being contacted by Mrs Mink.

A spokesperson told KentOnline: “In this instance, we have not had any people hurt alongside the animal.

“But David Iwo in Norwich went on to kill someone and he started off mutilating cats and reckoned he killed about 30.”

The Netflix true crime docuseries Don’t F*** With Cats was about a group of internet sleuths who launched a manhunt after a series of animal cruelty acts were shared online.

It culminated in the murder of Chinese international student Jun Lin by adult actor Luka Magnotta.

In 2018, six-year-old Alesha MacPhail was raped and murdered by Aaron Campbell, 16, on the Isle of Bute.

It was reported by The Sun the teenager skinned cats and buried them in his back garden.

When KentOnline contacted Briar House Veterinary Surgery it refused to comment on Manny’s injuries.

A police spokesperson said: “We were called at 3.32pm on Monday to a report a deceased cat had been found outside an address in Springfield Road, Cliftonville, Margate at about 8am that day.”

“An investigation into the circumstances is ongoing and anyone with information to assist enquiries, including CCTV footage, should contact police on 01843 222289 quoting 46/109086/24.”