'Losing them in this way has been heartbreaking': Spate of fatal dog attacks on cats in Northampton

Cat owners are worried about the safety of their pets in an area of Northampton after a spate of fatal attacks by dogs under similar circumstances.

Three cats have been found dead in fields between Obelisk Rise and Boughton since October while two others have died after being attacked there.

One of the owners said: "This makes me feel scared as it is just a matter of time until it happens again. Will a child be next?"

Buddy was the most recent victim - the black and white kitten's body was found by a dog walker a week ago today (Saturday, February 15) after going missing 11 days earlier.

His owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said: "I adopted Buddy as a kitten to help me through a very difficult time in my life.

"He was such a sweet-natured and friendly little boy, the best cat I have ever known.

"I’m heartbroken to have had to bury him so soon after his first birthday. It doesn’t feel fair, and makes me so sad."

The first cat death in the spate was on June 3, 2018 - Bellatrix was attacked in her cul de sac between 5am and 5.30am by two greyhounds which came from the fields, according to the owner.

She suffered major injuries and had to be put down while witnesses said they did not dare to intervene as they feared the dogs would attack them.

The owner, who also wanted to remain anonymous, said: "She was part of our family, we still miss her so much."

The next attack was in the early hours of August 4, 2019, when another cat called Billy was attacked by three dogs, in the same field as Buddy, according to a witness, and had to be put down too.

Billy's owner suffered a second tragedy when another of her cats, called Raven, went missing on October 23, but was found dead the next day by the pocket park near Boughton.

The vet examined Raven and told the owner the cat was caught in the chest by a dog.

The anonymous owner said: "We as a couple are totally devastated. First, we lost Billy and a couple of months later it happened again.

"Raven was killed. She was only a year old and in the short time we had her we became so close. We went through a lot together, Raven and me.

"We miss them both so much. To us, our cats are our children. They mean the world to us. Losing them in this way has been heartbreaking."

The fifth death was another black and white cat found dead by the dog warden in the same field on November 16, whose owner is yet to be tracked down.

A police spokesman said they have two reports of cats being fatally attacked by dogs in the Obelisk Rise area in June 2018 and August 2019.

An RSPCA spokesperson said: “We are aware of a number of cat deaths in this area and their injuries are consistent with being attacked by a dog.

“We understand this must be terribly upsetting for the owners and we would like to reassure people we are investigating.

"We would urge any witnesses to such attacks to contact the RSPCA appeals line on 0300 123 8018.

“We would also like to remind dog owners that they have a legal responsibility under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 to keep their dog under control in a public place.”