Youths collect cats to use as bait for dogs in Cork city

GANGS of youths in Cork are stealing cats to use as bait for dogs in preparation for hunting, the owner of the ‘Cat Hospital’ in the city has warned.

Clare Meade of the Cat Hospital in Glanmire says two cats were brought to the hospital in recent days after a man saved them from being used as bait on dogs. This follows on from her experiences with a client in Farranferris in the city who reportedly installed CCTV in his home as gangs of youths were attempting to steal his pets.

‘It is as if they don’t realise that the cats are sentient beings. My client in Farranferris has had an awful experience. These group of young men, or perhaps multiple groups of young men, are setting dogs on cats. The police are looking into it and the ISPCA inspector has also been called in Cork. It is all a very slow process though as people are afraid to give evidence,’ she said.

‘Last week a man came to me with a box containing two cats. He stopped young men from using them as bait.’

The ISPCA in Cork says baiting is being done by young men who are using different breeds of dogs including terriers, greyhounds and lurchers.

It is understood cats in the Farranree, Mayfield, Gurranabraher and St Luke’s areas of north Cork city have been targeted in recent weeks. Pet rabbits are also believed to have been used in at least one instance.

The ISPCA is appealing to anyone who has knowledge about the use of cats for baiting to contact the society’s cruelty line on 1890 515515.