'This looks like abuse to me': Regina woman warning cat owners after death of 'Tookie'
CBC News | Posted: August 22, 2018 11:00 AM | Last Updated: August 22, 2018
WARNING: This story contains details and images that may be disturbing to some readers
A Regina woman who believes her cat was abused, tortured or caught in an inhumane trap is warning other cat owners to be vigilant about keeping their pets inside.
Jennifer Geiss had to have her cat, Tookie, euthanized after he came home with severe injuries, including a broken jaw.
She said a vet told her that for legal reasons, he could not say whether Tookie was abused, but confirmed the cat was not run over by a bike or car.
"I do know that this looks like abuse to me, this looks like somebody wrapped something around his neck and possibly dragged him or … kicked him in the face," said Geiss.
"Even his paws were worn right down on the pads.… It looked like he was trying to pull away or something."
Geiss, who lives in the Rosemont neighbourhood in Regina, said she knows her cat should not have been outside but he sometimes managed to slip through an open door.
She thinks Tookie snuck out of the house when her daughter and son-in-law were moving some items in and out.
Her neighbour saw him on her steps, and then walking happily back toward Geiss's house about half an hour before he appeared on her deck with severe injuries.
With no other explanation, Geiss is certain Tookie's injuries were inflicted deliberately.
"I don't know if he was tortured or if somebody has an actual cat snare or an animal snare that tightens around their neck," she said
"Cat traps are out and about but they're not to be inhumane."
If somebody in her neighbourhood had a problem with Tookie, Geiss said she wishes they would have raised it with her personally.
Since she posted photos of his injuries on Facebook, Geiss said she has received two messages from other people who said their cats had been injured in suspicious circumstances.
"He was part of my family. I've had him since I was three months old. He was my big, old furry teddy-bear cat," said Geiss.
"He was one that would flop in front of you and want you to pet him. I'm broken-hearted. I can't believe that somebody would make him suffer."
She said she has reported Tookie's injuries to the Regina Humane Society but she is not sure how they plan to respond.
With files from CBC's Joelle Seal