Cat torturer strikes again in Otago town

Six cats have now been mutliated in the sale Otago town of Waikouaiti in the past few weeks. File photo / Thinkstock

Another kitten has been found tortured and abandoned in a small Otago town and police say they are determined to catch the culprit.

Police last week revealed that a number of cats had died in bizarre and, in some cases, sickening circumstances in Waikouaiti, 42km northeast of Dunedin.

Constable Jon-Paul Tremain of Waikouaiti police told NZPA the first cats were discovered last month on the main road at the northern end of the town, indicating they could have been dumped by someone passing through.

However, last Friday the latest cat was discovered at the other end of town, away from the main road, bring the total number of mutilated cats to six.

The 10- to 12-week-old kitten's ears had been trimmed, not completely cut off like the other cats. It was in such bad state it had to be put down.

People in Waikouaiti, which has a population of about 1000, were "absolutely disgusted" and wanted the culprit caught, he said.

"I would like to catch the person responsible. I still believe there is someone out there that knows something about it."

However, no one had come forward to help police in the investigation, despite an Auckland woman offering a $2000 reward for information, he said.

"I am starting to think now that it's more than likely a local," Mr Tremain said as media publicity may have led the person to dump the kitten at a different location.

- NZPA