Concerns over a cat serial killer in France has arisen after 200 cats were found dead. An inquiry has been launched after the continued discovery of dead or very poorly cats, that appear to have been poisoned. The cats have been discovered in Saint-Pierre-La-Mer, a small resort town in Southern west France.
Most of the cats that have been found have blue tongues, a sign that they have been poisoned. It is not yet clear what substance is poisoning the felines. The cats are a combination of domestic pets and strays in the area. In some of the cases the owners stated that their cats tend to stay in their own gardens.
The first deaths were reported six weeks ago and the numbers have now increased dramatically. Many of the cats have been found in the streets and some were in containers. There were also 50 cats discovered at the end of May that were found in one location that leads up to the beach. A discovery of blue pellets was found by an investigator, but they are used to kill slugs and they are known to normally repel cats. The president of the stray cat association in the area, Nicolas Lombard, suspects the killer is using a deadly cocktail of rat poison, cannabis or oil. There is also uncertainty as to whether the cats are the intended victims, as there are many seagulls in the town. The seagulls are considered to be pest by many as they are noisy and there are so many.
The locals in Saint-Pierre are extremely concerned and wary. Many people are suspecting their neighbours and they’re accusing one another. There was also a report of a resident seeing his cat set upon by a man who was walking with his dog. After hearing barking, the resident came out and saw the man kill his cat using some kind of blunt object. No arrests have been made as the assailant has not been identified.
The local stray cat group now claims that they know who is responsible for the killings. A recent Facebook update said they do not have any proof and so they have asked for information from the locals in the area. They hope that by working together the cats and other wildlife in the area will be saved.