Distraught pet owner says cat stolen by cyclist in Rotorua

A cat has been stolen from a home on Phillip St in Rotorua. Photo / Supplied

A Rotorua woman says she is feeling anxious and hopeless after her cat was stolen from right in front of her eyes.

Patsy Richardson said she was asleep at home on Phillip St when her two dogs started growling about 3am, yesterday.

"When my dogs growl, it means something is going on around my section," she said.

"I sleep with the door open because the dogs are so good at guarding - I looked out my front door and saw someone on a bicycle at the front gate.

"At first I thought I'd watch him for a while because he was bent over and I couldn't quite see what he was doing. I called out 'hey mate, is something wrong?'. Then I just saw him bend, scoop and then gap.

The cat was described as friendly and affectionate. Photo / Supplied

"At that stage, I didn't realise it was the cat but I came back in straight away to check all the animals and she wasn't there."

Richardson's cat is still missing.

"This cat doesn't leave the section at all usually, she might go and look out the gate but comes straight back in. Now she's gone. Usually, if I call her, she'll come immediately.

"She is so affectionate, she is so trusting and she is so loving. She just loves being cuddled and petted so she would've lapped it up if he was patting her to begin with.

"The guy was in all dark clothing and had a backpack on. I didn't get a good look at his face because he had a helmet on. "

A Rotorua woman's cat was taken from her front yard. Photo / Supplied

Richardson said she spent the last day walking the streets in her neighbourhood searching for her beloved pet but has had no luck so far.

However, she said "three or four others" had reported missing cats in the area as well and they were planning a community meeting to discuss further before considering reporting the incidents to police.

"I'm feeling really anxious, I have driven fruitlessly around Rotorua not knowing where to go, just praying and hoping."

The cat was taken in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Photo / Supplied