PET owners in East Surrey are urged to be on their guard for snare traps.
Writing on the wall of the Caterham Facebook page, a resident said: "Our cat came home today with a snare trapped around his chest. Cat owners in the vicinity of Farningham Road, Croydon Road, Beechwood Road and Elgin Crescent please be aware and report if you see anything.
"Just thought we would highlight as we are worried about the safety of our pets, especially in light of others going missing in the past."
Jacqui Cuff, national advocacy manager for Cats Protection, said: "They [snares] inflict suffering and injury on animals and cats are often the victims. At the moment, self-locking snaresare illegal in the UK.
"It is legal, however, to use free-running snares. Although these are meant to avoid injuries, all snares inflict extensive life-threatening injuries. Animals may be left to suffer for hours or longer and over half of all animals trapped in this way will die. "
Animal charity The League Against Cruel Sports is running an online petition calling for an outright ban on snares. Visit www.league.org.uk/our-campaigns/snaring/what-you-can-do-about-snaring for more details.
