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RSPCA issues appeal after rescue cat dies hanging on washing line in Manchester

WARNING - This article contains distressing information, and reader discretion is advised.

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant - 23rd June 2022

The RSPCA has issued a public appeal for information after a recuse cat has died after being hung on a washing line in Manchester.

In what the RSCPA said appeared to be “a deliberate act”, a 10-year-old cat named Jack was found hanging from a washing line that was tied from a fence to the lower branch of a tree in the back garden of a property on Northcote Avenue in Wythenshawe on Tuesday 21 June at around 8am.

The washing line was said to have been wrapped round the cat’s neck three times and tied in a knot before he was strung up.

Jack’s distraught owner, Tracy McCormick, said it was “horrendous” that someone could do this to the cat she rescued as a kitten nearly a decade ago after he was found in a neglected sate.

Ms McCormick said: “He was timid and no-one had ever complained about him. He was a cat I had taken from a bad situation and he was loved. Whoever did this did it deliberately as the line was wrapped around him and tied with three knots.

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“It took all my strength to get it off him.”

The RSPCA is now investigating the circumstances surrounding the cat’s killing, and have called it a “sickening act of cruelty”.

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The RSCPA said the cat’s death appeared to be “a deliberate act” / Credit: RSPCA

RSPCA Inspector Ryan King believes Jack was probably killed in the early hours of Tuesday morning, and, after reviewing nearby CCTV footage, is now appealing for information from anyone who may have seen someone acting suspiciously in the area.

Inspector King said: “This seems a deliberate act as the line had been moved from where it was being used for repair work on a tree.

“The owner was distraught and her neighbours were quite horrified.

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“You have to wonder why someone would do this, and it seems strange they would go into a back garden to do it.”

Read more: RSPCA advice to keep pets cool during ‘silent killer’ heat as summer arrives

He added that a neighbour “heard the side gate being rattled” and found that it was unlocked in the morning.

Anyone with any information or CCTV footage that may be of assistance is being asked to come forward and call the RSPCA appeals line on 0300 123 8018.

Featured Image – RSPCA