Unexplained cat deaths leave owners fearful

People living on a street in a Nottinghamshire town say they are worried about the safety of their pets after a number of cats were found dead on nearby fields.

Residents in Sherwood Avenue, Mansfield, said cats started going missing in September and up to eight had been found dead since.

Planning permission has been granted for 156 new homes on neighbouring land and ecologists are currently carrying out work there.

Mansfield District Council said it was looking into the issue.

Resident Theresa Williams told the BBC about the moment she found one of the cats earlier this month.

She said: "I was horrified. My husband was walking the dog and found a cat dead after a neighbour saw it behind their house.

"I'd noticed there's been a few cats missing on the local [online] pages so we brought the cat back and checked its markings.

"When I picked it up its lower leg came off, it was awful.

"Another neighbour was looking for her cat after it went missing a few weeks before. She found it, but it was dead."

Joe Manning's cat Jasper is among the cats that have died.

He said an ecologist working in the field on 4 October played him footage that showed his pet moving its head but unable to walk.

"All we know is that our cat isn't here any more, it's rubbish," he said.

"If he wasn't at home, he was either in the field or the nearby industrial estate - that was his stomping ground.

"There's been that many deaths, and that many people reporting missing cats, that I've got a neighbour keeping their cat in."

Alissa Loates is among those residents keeping their cats indoors as a precaution.

"I don't want to one day let her out and she just doesn't come home," she said.

"She's a big part of my life and I don't want anything to happen to her.

"It feels really awful knowing what other people are going through. I don't care how long we have to keep her inside, as long as she's safe."

Mansfield District Council said it did not know what had caused the deaths but it was working with residents "to gather information".

"The details we have so far don't allow us to take any action," a spokesperson said.

Developers Vistry Group said: "Some initial ecological works are currently being carried out on site and we can confirm that no chemicals are being used and no other work is taking place."

A local RSPCA spokesperson said: "It's concerning to hear reports that three dead cats have been found in this area.

"We do not know if these were accidental incidents or deliberate but ask everyone in the area to check where they keep chemicals and make sure they are secure."

Nottinghamshire Police said it received two reports on 2 October about a dead cat.

The force said it understood the council was looking into the issue but officers would investigate further if required to do so.

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