SIDELINES...

FELINE SHAVER

Following the April report of pet cats in Waynesboro, Virginia, having their bellies and legs shaved [ FT356:10], up to 10 ginger cats in Tonbridge, Kent, returned home with patches of fur shaved off. Beverly Findlay’s two ginger cats had been targeted several times during the eight weeks up to early June. Her two other nonginger cats were left unscathed. Last year, 12 cats were shaved in the Cotswolds. The attacker was never caught. Sun, 5 June 2017.

STILL LOST

A woman who vanished 42 years ago after her husband dropped her off at a doctor’s surgery has been found alive. Cold case detectives tracked down Flora Stevens, 78, to a care home near Boston. She now has dementia and cannot recall her 1975 disappearance in New York. Her husband died in 1985. Metro, 30 Oct 2017.

NOTTINGHAM NOISES

A loud booming noise was heard across Nottingham on 27 May 2017, followed on 30 July by 20 minutes of a loud squeaking noise. News of this prompted a couple to complain they had faced months of sleepless nights due to a loud high-pitched noise across Calverton, seven miles (11km) from Nottingham, at 4.30am every morning. Nottingham Post, 1+14 Aug 2017.

PSYCHIC PETS

According to a survey by pet charity Blue Cross, 29% of UK pet owners believe their pet has seen a ghost or sensed a supernatural presence. And 43% of them believe their pet tried to tell or warn them about its presence by growling, barking or hissing at in invisible entity. South Wales Argus (Newport), 27 Oct 2017.