Crazed cat killer loose
Corrosive cruelty maims Qns. kittens
A serial sicko may be dousing helpless kittens in Queens with a caustic chemical — causing injuries so severe one had to be euthanized, according to animal rescuers.
Over the past two weeks, at least four kittens belonging to a stray cat colony on 102nd Street in Richmond Hill have been discovered with grisly injuries to their paws — so extreme in some cases that bone poked through their fur.
“I hope it’s not some ‘Silence of the Lambs’ situation, but it could be,” said animal rescuer Elsie Alten, 30, recalling how the stench of rotting skin reeked in the area where the cats were fed.
Meagan Licari, president of the rescue organization Puppy Kitty NYC, said that seeing multiple kittens with the same severe injuries led her to suspect a twisted sadist could be on the loose.
“To have three cats with the same exact paw injury is really highly unlikely,” Licari said. “Somebody’s likely throwing chemicals on them, because basically their skin is completely off.”
Dr. Jaclyn Holdsworth of Long Island Veterinary Specialists, who has been attending to the wounded animals, said the injuries were chemical burns, which she believes were caused by someone spreading a household chemical or other substance in the area. The wounds were exacerbated by additional infections that plague strays.
A kitten named Ruby was found with its paws decayed into stubs. Its extensive injuries would have required amputation of all four limbs, so it was euthanized.
“He was a beautiful cat,” cried neighbor Deepa Persaud, 33, who has fed and watched the animals for the past three years.
Persaud said roughly 10 to 15 feral cats used to “come every day like clockwork” for bowls of food near her home. But as the kittens began turning up with bloodied paws, the rest suddenly disappeared.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if somebody is hurting them because a lot of people see them as nuisances,” she added. “Not everybody sees them the way that I see them.”
Alten suggested someone could have been putting down chemicals like antifreeze, leading to the bloody horror show.
“Is someone doing this intentionally? Is someone maybe putting chemicals down accidentally?” she asked. “It’s been really unclear.”
Keeping the kittens alive is already proving costly. One of the survivors, a Calico named Juliette, has already racked up medical bills totaling more than $7,000, and could require long-term wound treatment. Donations to Puppy Kitty have helped cover the costs.
Licari said that she and other animal rescuers are working with the 102nd Precinct to catch the fiend.