Our family cat was swung in a noose and smashed into a wall by a sick thug – How could someone be so cruel?

The Sun

27-07-2025

A FAMILY whose pet cat was tortured for fun by a sick thug have told of their horror at his ordeal.
Tabby Marshall was swung around in a noose and repeatedly smashed into a wall.
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The ginger moggie returned home hours later gasping for breath and with rope still around his throat.
Marshall was taken to a vet and given pain killers for bruising and swelling, but X-rays amazingly found no broken bones.
Owner Sarah Keeling, 38, has told The Sun of her shock when she was shown doorbell camera footage of her pet's 6am trauma last week.
Hospital worker Sarah, who is eight months pregnant, said: 'I don't know what goes through someone's head to do such a cruel thing to a little animal.
"Marshall would have just gone out at that time. He would have gone up to that man expecting to be pampered because he's really friendly and loves the attention.
'Instead, he got rope wrapped around his neck and swung around like a rag doll. I don't understand how someone can walk past the house and do that. It seemed like he was trying to kill our poor cat in the video.
'I watched it and felt ill in my stomach. It was sickening. I genuinely thought Marshall was dead and we'd never see him again. But I knew if he was alive, he would come home.'
Sarah's eight-year-old daughter Emily was distraught when Marshall went missing last Thursday.
As locals helped to hunt for the cat, Emily wrote a heartbreaking ­letter to her beloved pet which read: 'We won't let you down. If we do, I'm sorry. I love you.'
Sarah said: 'Emily was devastated. I just told her someone had been nasty to the cat and he ran away but we'll find him.'
When Marshall came back at 1am on Friday, Emily fell asleep snuggling with the cat on the sofa.
Shock moment a cat has a near miss with an unexpected explosion
Emily said: 'We were cuddling and snoring. I was very sad and angry when he went missing. I wrote a letter to him and I read it to him. We play together a lot. I play with his favourite little cat toy which is a stick with a mouse.
'Lots of people have given him new toys which we'll try playing with. The vet said he's put on weight from all the treats. At least he's home, that's all that matters.'
Sarah's partner Stuart Duncombe, 41, a kitchen appliance fitter, said: 'I don't get how anyone could do that. It was really shocking.'
Marshall's ordeal came just weeks after Sarah's son Jake, 12, lost his cat Millie when she was run over.
The family of Basingstoke, Hants, set up a GoFundMe page to cover vet bills which has raised £4,000.
Henry Newey, 18, has admitted causing unnecessary suffering to an animal and is due to be sentenced by Basingstoke JPs in September.
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