A SICKENING and savage attack left a 18-month-old cat mutilated in Blue Anchor last Friday night.

Horrified owner Helen Allen spoke yesterday of how her white tabby cat called The Bandit came home at 11.30pm splattered with blood.

At first Mrs Allen and her husband could not work out where the blood was coming from and thought it might have been the result of a badger bite.

"The cat ran inside and jumped on my husband's lap," said Mrs Allen. "My husband noticed the blood and I thought the tail looked as if it had been had been skinned, but we were not sure where the cut was."

However, when Mrs Allen took The Bandit to the vet, he told her after examination that he did not suspect the wound was from another animal as there were no bite marks and it was a very clean cut.

He said he was 99 per cent sure the attack was deliberate and that he suspected foul play was involved.

The cat was stitched and kept at the surgery over the weekend for observation and allowed home on Monday afternoon.

Mrs Allen said The Bandit did not appear to be affected by the ordeal but was still recovering from the injuries.

Anyone who knows anything about the attack is asked to telephone the RSPCA on 0870 5555999.