The RSPCA is appealing for information after a cat was found buried alive in Caerphilly.
The incident occurred on Thursday May 6 in a garden in Maxton Court on the Lansbury Park estate.
Firefighters contacted the RSPCA after a five-year-old male tabby cat had been seen half buried in a large hole.
By the time the RSPCA officer arrived, the cat had managed to wriggle out of the hole and was lying in a pile of mud.
The cat was rushed to Valley Vets in Caerphilly, but the injuries sustained by the animal were so severe that the cat had to be put down.
RSPCA inspector Emma Smith said: “The cat had extensive brain damage and it is unclear at present whether the animal was buried alive or whether he was assaulted first and then buried by someone who thought that the cat was dead.
“Either way the cat was very much still alive and managed to dig himself out. What the poor cat went through was horrendous and it’s vital that the public helps us find the perpetrator.”
Anyone with information should call the RSPCA in confidence on 0300 1234 999.