A Cove woman and her five-year-old daughter have been left heartbroken after two of their cats were found dead.
Belle and Boo – who were “inseparable” and never ventured far from their home in Cove – went missing on June 24 and 26 respectively.
Their owner Lauren Mitchell initially thought Belle had got stuck somewhere, with Boo following after her scent to find her missing companion.
But the 34-year-old owner’s theory was blown out the window when her pets turned up some distance away days later.
Confusion over missing Cove cats
Last Friday, Lauren was told that a dead cat had been found in the car park next to Burnbanks Village, over a mile away.
She said: “I went to see it and was sure it was Belle, so I took her to the vet. But she had no chip and they said her ear was cropped like they do when they catch ferals to neuter.
“So that put the idea that it was her right out of my head completely, and I posted about finding the cat so the owner could be found.”
On Sunday, Lauren – who works as a human resources team leader – was told about another dead cat, this time found outside St Fittick’s Park graveyard in Torry.
It sadly turned out to be Boo.
Lauren was baffled her beloved pet had been found so far away.
“There is no way she went all the way there,” she said.
In light of the update on Boo, Lauren asked the vet to check the first feline again – and this time she said he was “pretty certain” it was Belle, with the cropped ear caused by the cat’s body being stored in a freezer after being found and snapping off.
Lauren said the vet told her she did not think her injuries were from a road accident.
The devastated mum is now strongly of the belief that Belle and Boo were not victims of accidents, and has reported the incidents to the police.
Police Scotland has confirmed that they have received a report.
Lauren said: “It is all looking very suspicious and I have reason to believe this was a deliberate act of violence against my poor cats.
“Both go missing two days apart. Both found two days apart. Both missing for 11 days when found.
“It looks like they both died on the same day.”
Lauren is now urging anyone with any CCTV or ring video doorbell footage on the stretch of Coast Road from Cove to St Fittick’s Park, between the dates of June 24 to July 7, to get in touch with her.
“The only good thing out of this terrible situation is that I have them both home,” she said.
“I got them for Aria’s birthday last year and she’s absolutely heartbroken.”
