A CAT owner has raised concerns about potential attacks on animals in the area, after an incident which left his pet needing toes removed.

Robert Stott, who lives in Shaw Drive, said he was sick after coming home to find his cat, Sergio, bleeding and crying in pain with toes hanging from his foot.

The two-year-old cat was taken to Ark Vets in Mobberley, where vets removed three of his toes in an operation.

Robert said: “I have got three cats, and my little one Sergio is quite friendly and goes out to every man and his dog. I thought ‘this is strange, he hasn’t come back’, but I didn’t really think anything of it.

“We were out shopping, and when we got back there was blood all over the hallway and kitchen. He was on the floor, crying and curled up with wire on his leg. Apparently it’s not a one-off incident. I can’t think he has got it trapped, so there is someone out there hurting cats.

“It’s frightening, and I was heartbroken. I have not slept properly since – I’m worried to death and I can hear him crying, it’s not nice. He is the friendliest cat. The people who are doing this to animals on purpose are not right in the head. What else are they going to do?”

Robert said he put his story on social media and heard back from others whose cats had been injured, including a kitten in Longridge which suffered injuries to both back legs.

Ark Vets, whose treatment Robert praised as ‘fantastic’, said they had informed the RSPCA of Sergio’s case but had not seen any further similar incidents.

An RSPCA spokesman said: “We have been made aware of an incident in Knutsford where a cat appears to have been deliberately injured.

"The cat was found with wire wrapped around its leg and, as a result, had to have three toes removed. The cat would have been in a lot of pain and it does concern us that someone deliberately targeted an innocent animal in this way.

“Sadly, we have also been told that a number of cats have been targeted in the area recently, including having liquid thrown on them, however we do not have any further information about these incidents.”

Call the RSPCA in confidence on 03001238018 with information.