Cat found with missing leg sparks fears of a new cruelty attack in Shropshire

Mother of four Sara Inston said her cat Oreo was found in her neighbour's garden with a leg missing and then had to be destroyed.

Numerous cases of cruelty to cats in Shropshire have emerged in recent months, with reported cases of cats going missing, being shot or possibly even beaten.

And Mrs Inston says she is concerned her pet may have been mistreated.

The 34-year-old from Wedgewood Crescent, Ketley said: "I checked the roads outside the house and there was no sign she had been hit by a car. She never really went far away from the house.

"I bundled her up and took her to the vets, she was there all night.

"They said she had a broken thigh bone but that would probably have to be amputated anyway, so we took her to our vets and they said her pelvis was badly damaged so that the best thing to do was to put her down."

Miss Inston said the cat had no other injuries apart from its leg, and that she has heard of multiple cases similar to this, in particular a case around the Leegomery area involving a cat with three missing limbs.

She said: "I am angry because that was my pet. It's upsetting for me and the kids to have seen her like that and to have to have her put down.

"The vets couldn't speculate how she got injured. There were no other injuries elsewhere on her body. If people are doing this it is disgusting. She was a part of our family."

Miss Inston said all of her children were upset but especially her 12-year-old daughter Kayleigh Watkins, as Oreo used to sleep in her room with her.

She said: "It's so sad she was the most loving cat I have ever had, she was a really sweet cat, if anyone would've come near her she would have probably rolled over and let them stroke her.

"I'm more vigilant now to check my other cats and to keep an eye on them."

The news comes after similar cases of other people posting to social media in warning to others after their cats were harmed.