Mystery over neutered Burnley cat

Mr Andy Waterhouse contacted the Express over the bizarre and upsetting incident which saw his seven-year-old tortoise shell cat named Mouse return home yesterday with a surgical scar after going missing from Holcombe Drive on Thursday evening.

The mobile security man (47) said: "The whole incident has been very strange and left me, my partner Danielle and daughter Ella-Rose very upset.

"Mouse never strays far from home, either sitting in my garden or next door's. Alarm bells started to ring when she didn't come in on Thursday evening. A few days passed with us all worrying about Mouse until Sunday morning when I heard her crying outside our front door.

"Danielle brought her in and we were both shocked when we saw the scar. She had clearly been operated on and neutered without our consent. It is absolutely disgusting. Since returning home, Mouse has been traumatised and I'm not letting her leave the house for the time being."

Mr Waterhouse said Mouse had previously had two litters of four kittens each, and said he did not ever want her to be neutered. He is now appealing to local vets and anyone with information to contact him about the strange case. He has also reported it to the police who are investigating.

"I believe Mouse was taken by a local person who has taken her to a vet and had her neutered," he added.

"Whoever did this has given the vet false information and caused unnecessary pain and suffering to an animal, our family pet. If Mouse wants to have kittens then that's up to her and us, not anyone else. My four-year-old daughter is very upset, as we all are."

Anyone with information can call Andy on 07403350645.