Woman's plea after cats caught in illegal snares

A pet owner in Plymouth said two of her cats, on separate occasions, have been caught in illegal snares in recent months

A woman whose cats have been caught in illegal snares, on two separate occasions, has issued a plea.

Cassie Langton, who lives in the Estover area of Plymouth, said the snares were "tight around" her cat's waist, with the second time resulting in a vet bill costing more than £400.

She reported the two incidents, one in June and the other in August, to Devon and Cornwall Police as well as a wildlife officer, who confirmed the snares were created with "fishing line".

Ms Langton said she was "constantly worried" for the safety of her cats.

'Please stop'

"We managed to cut the snare off the first time it happened, but our second cat needed out-of-hours veterinary treatment, and we were lumbered with a £407 vet bill," she said.

"The wildlife officer confirmed the snare is made from fishing line and they have tied a 'blood knot' which is designed to tighten more and more as the animal struggles and will not release.

"We plea to the person setting the traps to please stop."

Police said it was seeking witnesses and information following the incident which happened between 23:00 BST on 13 August and 06:45 BST the next day.

Devon and Cornwall Police said officers were carrying out inquiries and asked anyone with information to contact the force online or by calling 101

The RSPCA said "self-locking" snares, which have "wire loops that do not relax and become tighter if the animal pulls at them", were illegal.

It explained "free running" snares were the only type of snare that was legal in the UK. These have nooses which do not lock and can relax if the animal becomes caught in them.

The charity also said users of legal free-running snares must take reasonable precautions to prevent them catching or causing injury to protected animals.

"Snares can’t distinguish between animals and it is thought that around 40% of snared animals are not the intended target species - their victims often include domestic animals like cats and dogs," the charity added.