Cat kicked to death

The Kelly family has been left stunned after a vet concluded their pet had been kicked extremely hard, causing broken bones and massive internal damage.
And last week 15-year-old Poppy died, despite the vet and family’s best efforts.
Speaking this week, owner Bryce Kelly said: “We have no evidence that it was kicked but the vet explained the nature of the injuries suggests that the cat had been booted.
“A couple of ribs were broken and the kick shunted all its organs up its body.
“He reckons it would have been kicked very, very hard by an adult to cause that much damage.
Bryce added: “There were no external injuries, so he ruled out being hit by a car. He said that by the nature of the injuries it had been kicked.”
Bryce explained the cat had had some problems a few months ago with its teeth but since treatment had begun putting on weight again.
However, last month the moggy began looking worse for wear and was taken to Dryfe Vets to be examined and the damage was found.
Bryce said: “It was a really nice wee thing, it never pestered you but it liked to be patted.”
Trying to understand how someone could injure an animal in such a way, he said: “Fair enough some people don’t like cats, so shoo it out your garden. Whether this was somebody in a fit of madness, I don’t know.
“The cat didn’t stray very far so I imagine it happened nearby.
“It’s sad that folk would do that to an animal.”