'I'm heartbroken': Cork woman calls for tougher actions after stolen cat had to be put down

Felix, a beloved family cat taken from outside a Blackrock home, was discovered emaciated and with a broken jaw days later, prompting renewed calls for tougher safeguards for animals

Felix, a 12-year-old pure-bred Persian, who was stolen from his home in Blackrock, Cork, last week.

The owner of a cat stolen in Cork has called for tougher protections for pets after the animal was found severely emaciated and with a broken jaw days after being taken.

The family had to make the difficult decision to put the cat to sleep.

Tracy Finnegan's 12-year-old Persian cat, Felix, disappeared after being taken from outside her Blackrock home on September 30.

The incident was witnessed by a neighbour, who said two men working together lured the cat, before one allegedly grabbed him by the tail and fled on an e-bike.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Ms Finnegan said Felix was eventually discovered abandoned in St Michael's Cemetery in Mahon.

"I haven't slept in a week, I'm heartbroken," said Ms Finnegan.

"We were out every day and night looking for him, and then at 11.30pm on Tuesday, we got a call from a woman saying her son had found him in St Michael's Cemetery.

"He was severely injured. We took him to the emergency vet, but they said he wouldn't survive the anaesthetic, so it was more humane to put him to sleep."

Ms Finnegan said Felix had been a part of her family for more than a decade, having grown up alongside her children.

"He was such a gorgeous, friendly cat. All of the children on the road would've played with him, he was like a local celebrity," she said.

"Everyone is just so devastated by this."

Ms Finnegan said she had contacted gardaí, who were able to locate CCTV footage of the thieves near the Primary Care Centre in Mahon.

"You can see Felix is limp in the footage, which would indicate he was unconscious," said Ms Finnegan.

"They [the thieves] must have hit him to stop him from struggling and broke his jaw. Then with all the attention he was getting, they kept him for a number of days.

"He was so emaciated and dehydrated when we found him, he couldn't walk."

Ms Finnegan said those responsible should face serious penalties for animal cruelty.

"This is a level of cruelty you should never inflict on any living thing," she said.

"These people have no empathy. I will never forgive them, and I will never understand them."

She also called for stronger legal protections for cats, arguing the penalties available for serious acts of animal cruelty should include prison sentences.