Could '˜Croydon Cat Killer' be in Horsham?

A much-loved nine year old rescue cat belonging to Dr Natalie Evans disappeared from his home in St Leonard’s Road on June 3.

Natalie has searched high and low for the pet puss called Gizmo but is mystified by what could have happened to him. She fears he could be a victim of the so-called Croydon Cat Killer who is thought to have killed around 100 felines over the past year.

There have been reports of the killer operating in a wider area of the M25 following the deaths of 70 cats in a 117-mile stretch of the motorway in the past five months.

Natalie, who has had Gizmo for more than six years, said: “He went out just before lunch and never came back.

“He was neutered, microchipped, extremely well cared for, happy, healthy, didn’t roam far and unlikely to walk out on us - especially just before lunch.

“We have flyered the local area, contacted multiple vets, put up posters, spread the word through as many Facebook pages as we could and even put an advert in the County Times.

“Whilst there have been lots of people getting in touch with possible sightings, not one has turned out to be our Gizmo.

“He has not been hit by a car and taken to a vet and he has not been shut into any local sheds or garages.

“We are at a total loss as to what has happened to him and not a day goes by when we don’t pine for him.”

Natalie says that a large number of cats have gone missing in the area. “I am in touch with two people through Facebook who are similarly distraught after losing their cats at exactly the same time.

“I have heard of the ‘Croydon Cat Killer’ and it makes my blood run cold to think that something similar could be going on in Horsham.

“As yet, no bodies have been found, which is odd given that the vast majority of missing cats in the area have been microchipped. Perhaps the cats just climbed into the back of a van and are now in an unknown area?

“Have people noticed an increase in unknown cats begging for food in the local area? Is it some kind of sick joke or something unpleasant?

“People are very good in Horsham and regularly post if they have seen a cat run over. The local vets are also extremely good at scanning for microchips and contacting owners if that happens. It just seems both strange and unlikely that well-loved and cared for cats have seemingly vanished in broad daylight.

“We haven’t given up hope, although it has diminished slightly.”