Wanted: The devil cat - ferocious Bengal terrorising Chestfield
THIS ferocious Bengal cat has terrorised pets around Chestfield and fed-up owners have vowed to snare it.
The animal – identified by experts as an expensive pedigree bred from a leopard cat – savaged one animal so badly it needed 20 stitches and forced another owner to use a broom to fight it off. Margaret Sandiford, of Chestfield Road, was left with a £188 vet bill after her cat was attacked.
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The pensioner, pictured above with Daisy, said: "It was really horrible. My cat could have died. Even the vet who stitched her up was shocked by the injury and suggested I should try to find out who owned the Bengal.
"The animal pounced on my cat when I went to protect her. It has no fear of humans at all. If you had a toddler around I think it would attack – it's not worried about adults so there's nothing to stop it hurting a child."
Mrs Sandiford, who has lived in the village for 10 years, managed to take this photo of the catty culprit and is hoping someone will be able to identify it.
She said: "Poor Daisy is not a young cat and I'm scared to let her out now. She's terrified too. This is the last thing I need. My husband died last year from cancer and I'm trying to rebuild my life. Daisy was very dear to him.
"My neighbours and I have no idea who the cat belongs to and really would like the owner to know what is happening so they can do something to prevent it. The cat has been attacking animals all round the area – my neighbour had to use a broom to get it off her cat.
"My home and garden should be a safe haven for us but because of this cat it is not. It comes in my house and growls at me and I am worried it will go for me as well."
Pet behaviour expert Debbie Connolly, who appeared on BBC3's Dog Borstal and is a consultant for Bengal Cat Rescue, confirmed the culprit's pedigree breeding, adding: "Bengals are often cat-aggressive.
"Many will terrorise not just their own household but can actively seek out neighbours' cats to hurt them. They are not playing, they mean it.
"I have had clients whose Bengals have killed other cats."
Debbie gives advice via her website, www.safepets.co.uk
8 Comments
by G, Sussex
Wednesday, October 20 2010, 11:11PM
“Its only doing what comes natural.
Thats the excuse that cat owners use when their moggies cr@p all over my garden.”
by JANE algar, United Kingdom
Saturday, October 16 2010, 11:14PM
“This cat does not need to be re-homed and have its issues sorted out, i am so hurt by you people , He is a loving family cat, since when does it give me people the right to judge by an article without knowing the facts and to decide someones elses pets future”
by JANE algar, United Kingdom
Saturday, October 16 2010, 11:12PM
“This cat is not a BENGAL as the article clearly states "quoted"by experts, he is half siamese grey tabby, What enjoyment do you get writing this story calling him the DEVIL CAT, its pathetic and childish, that another adult would write such lies about a family loved pet that we have had since he was a baby and for 4 years we have had him, So the residents took it upon themselves to snatch him and have him taken away.I am appalled at the behaviour of these residents, and they call themselves animal lovers, how dare they call themselves animal lovers when they clearly quoted remove the animal or we kill him, I am still in shock having read these stories as he has been missing now for nearly 8 weeks and what hurts is my daughter and i walked that road asking residents if they had seen him and no one had seen him, very strange when it clearly states he terrorised there road then they caught him and had him taken away, Posters were put in your road why did no one ring us, you do not have the powers to remove an animal to suit your lifestyle which is clearly what you have done, he is not vicious, and will only attack if he is attacked which all animals do, Someone must have really hurt him or abused him if he behaved in that way. I am devasted your cat was hurt but how can you be sure it was my cat when we have foxes that roam this area daily, Did you watch him attack, tiger does not attack for no reason so i am finding all this very hard to believe. By the way we have a 6month old baby staying with us and tiger has NEVER EVER ATTACKED him, he sits down near him and just goes to sleep, how dare you say he is capable of attacking a child, he is a cat and has never attacked us and we are adults, so where does that quote come from. This story has shocked me and my family as this is our family pet that has been labelled the devil cat.”
by michelle wall, south shields
Monday, October 04 2010, 7:28PM
“I have 4 Bengals, and in my opinion the culprit CAT in question is not a Bengal. The spots just dont indicate this to be a true Bengal, and just a plain moggie that has similar markings. Cats will fight and Cats will cause damage. This article is not acturate and therefore not a true account. Although I do feel it for the pensioner who had her cat injured, but one has to realise this is typical of a cat fight.”
by Jock, Paddock Wood
Tuesday, July 20 2010, 12:21PM
“What appalling "journalism".”
by T J, Paddock Wood
Monday, July 19 2010, 5:25PM
“All cats are pests, and should be controlled.”
by Salvatore J Vitale III, Bengal Rescue Network, United States
Saturday, July 17 2010, 3:24AM
“To the writer of this article, it is bad business and very unprofessional if you deliberately misquoted Debbie Connolly based on her remarks to your article. As Ms. Connolly stated, the picture is of very poor quality, and the limited characteristics seen are similar to four (4) possible purebred breeds. You need to get your facts straight.
The attack which occurred is NOT a Bengal trait, it is a CAT TRAIT. Felines are very territorial, in some cases more so than dogs. If this cat is from, or has been living, in this community for some time, it may now be expanding it territory. It is common for cats to challenge other cats for territorial rights. Since it is (or seems to be) a European custom to allow cats to roam in outside enclosures which do not have rooftops, ANY cat can invade ANY OTHER CAT'S territory. Based on the information provided in the article, this seems to be the case. We don't know who hissed at whom first, we just know it came to blows. Unfortunately, this is a natural course of action in the cat community.
Any animal injured due to the negligence of an owner is a bad situation. The owner of the Bengal should be found, and appropriate restitution should be made to the owner of the injured animal.
The Bengal Rescue Network does not condone owners allowing cats to roam outside unattended, even on private property, unless in a proper enclosure. This protects the cat from predators, other cats, and keeps the cat from killing local wildlife. Remember, this is a CAT THING, not a Bengal thing.
If you wish to get accurate information about the Bengal breed, you should contact such organizations as FiFe, GCCF, TICA Uk, TICA, ACFA (all feline registration organizations) or one of the breed clubs such as The International Bengal Cat Society. All can be found on the internet, and have breed specific information.
A Bengal is a feline which has the look of an exotic, and the personality and size of domestic cat. These cats are loving, intelligent, active and inquisitive. They are very oriented towards their owners, wanting to be around them, and "doing things" with them. They get along very well with other cats, dogs and kids of all ages.
Please do your homework and research before condemning this breed. A bad owner does NOT constitute a bad breed.
NOTE: Debbie Connolly is not affiliated with the Bengal Rescue Network, a registered 501c3, non-profit serving the US and Canada. This includes the Yahoogroups listserv identified as BengalCatRescue@yahoogroups.com.”
by Debbie Connolly, London
Friday, July 16 2010, 2:35PM
“I have not "confirmed the culprit's pedigree breeding" I haven't seen this cat or what appears to be a poor photo in this article.
You asked for a quote which I did not supply.
This cat need to be rehomed to someone that wants to sort its problems and given some help. Assuming it even has a home, it may well be an entire stray and I do not know at this point if it is a Bengal.”