Newtown cats trapped and dumped elsewhere, pet owners say
Cats from Newtown are reportedly being trapped before being taken away and dumped miles out of the area in towns and villages.
Pet owners in the Garth Owen area of the town are being warned by a charity to be extra cautious following an "abnormal" number of cats going missing over several months.
The Powys Animal Welfare charity said some of the cats have been recovered thanks to microchipping including one that was found "much the worse for wear" 30 miles away in Shrewsbury and another in Kerry, a village near Newtown.
The charity added that a Newtown cat was found dead in Llanfair Caereinion after it had gone missing for several weeks without vital medication.
Have you seen Snuggles?
Do you recognise Milo? (Image: Supplied) A Garth Owen resident, who did not want to be named, is desperate to find her three cats who went missing in close succession last year. Tabby cat Nyla hasn't been seen since April 2024, followed by ginger Snuggles in mid-November and moggy Milo who went missing from December 11.
Craig Beckerleg, who also lives in Garth Owen, said his micro-chipped Bengal 'Ringo' returned home in a "bad condition" after going missing for four months.
Craig says he believes somebody locally took Ringo and had left his child in tears trying to find their beloved pet.
Powys County Councillor Kelly Healy (Newtown Central and South, Liberal Democrats), who is also a well-known animal welfare advocate, has met with some of her distressed constituents who have come to her reporting the spate of missing cats on the estate.
Cllr Healy said whoever has taken the animals has caused "enormous" and "immeasurable" distress to the cats and their owners.
"I am working with authorities to try and get a conviction for these terrible acts of cruelty," she added.
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