A Roodepoort/ Krugersdorp SPCA inspector made a horrific discovery at a busy commuter drop-off point on March 16.
The SPCA got a call to report that a man was skinning a cat near the intersection of the Clearwater Mall entrance and Hendrik Potgieter Road, with Roodepoort/ Krugersdorp SPCA inspector, Eric Taljaard arriving on scene just after 15:00.
Inspector Taljaard approached the man who became startled as the increasingly incensed inspector came near. The amateur butcher explained to the inspector that he had found the cat and was hungry, so he wished to eat it. When the SPCA staff attempted to restrain the man, he broke free and fled the scene, leaving the separated hide and carcass of the shorthaired ginger male cat behind.
The man is said to be a common fixture at the intersection, often looking for money from motorists passing through. Inspector Taljaard could not determine if the man had caught the animal and killed it, or if it had been struck by a car, but could confirm that the right side of the feline’s skull had been smashed in. “It is a huge concern that this happened in broad daylight,” stated Roodepoort/ Krugersdorp SPCA Manager, Mandy Cattanach.
Missing cats are sadly a common occurrence with the incidents of cats trapped in snares becoming increasingly more regular. “Cats don’t make a noise like dogs when they get caught in traps. They will struggle to break free but we don’t hear them as easily,” said Inspector Taljaard.
Mandy urged cat owners to be alert to the potential of snares in their areas, stating, “Snares are made out of string, nylon rope, thin wire, gut, cable or anything which can be fashioned into a noose. It is a worry that this person sat on a busy public road skinning a cat and we only received one call about it. Our inspectors will be driving around the area every day looking for the culprit.”
