To think that the idea that the Croydon Cat killer is actually a Fox is a load of b*ll**cks

[mumof2andsurviving]

^^just that really. I'm not buying this fox theory. Mutilated cats left on owners doorsteps...don't think even the most intelligent foxes could manage that.

AIBU to feel that either a) the police no longer have resources to spend on this or b) it is a tactic used to try and lull the perpetrator into a false sense of security?

I don't get why a fox would leave a dead body and not take the carcass to feed their pups

If the cat has been hit by a car, they probably can't scrape it up off the road. The head and tail are maybe the bits that are least likely to be hit and easiest to scavenge.

The wounds are not bite wounds,” she said. “There are no chew marks. They are very clean, and obviously knife wounds. And besides, foxes don’t routinely attack cats – it’s the other way round

Stopped reading here. It was a shame no one told her that she was talking rubbish at this point and might have saved SNARL 3 years of pointless agonising.

I think SNARL have a lot to answer for actually. People keeping their cats inside and never letting them go out because they are scared of the mythical cat killer. That's really sad for the cats imo.

Not sad for cats to be indoors if you create a positive cat friendly environment for them with loads of opportunities to do their cat thing.
Cat friendly means things the cat enjoys.

I think it's a sad way to live personally but I have three very happy cats who like to hunt.

obviously knife wounds

yeah no offense but I'll take the Royal Veterinary College head of animal forensic pathology's opinion over random facebook cat lady's.

She is called Boudicca. She almost certainly feeds foxes. She lives in a little urban bubble where foxes are lovely cuddly kind creatures. There is no way she could accept they'd be responsible.

My indoor cat gets plenty of opportunity to hunt around the house - I make those opportunities for her. She has a great time. Spider season is particularly fruitful for her at the moment.

That sound very useful Bellini. Could I borrow her for a bit?

Spider season is particularly fruitful for her at the moment now that does sound good. Maybe I've missed a trick.

Well, one a day in many different areas cannot all be the work of one person. The Bristol paper says someone was arrested for a series of mutilations in a defined area. The many other cases are still most likely to be down to foxes.

Maybe the police are saying this as some sort of tactic to get the killer to trip up if he isn't getting the attention. It may get him feeling more confident. It may lead the killer to make an even bolder move to get more police and media attention which gives the police more to work on to finally get him caught. The police may be working one step ahead here. The killer may have done something more sinister that the police don't yet want the public to know and this is their 'next move' the killer may have been giving the police information and they are 'working' him up so he becomes clumsy.
Who knows though..maybe I watch and read too many films and books haha.
It's an interesting way to look at it though. But if the answer was so simple in the first place - foxes .
Why couldn't they have just said it was foxes?
Either way it doesn't add up for me and something a bit dodgy is going on. Either what I said above or it's turned out to be the head officers son or something !

Unless.... IT'S AN INITIATION RITE FOR A SECRET SECT OF HIGH UP GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WHICH EXPLAINS THE POLICE COVER UP!!!

Oh alpen

It's foxes.

@Miladymilord can you tell I like crime novels

you almost had me convinced

It's far more likely that the FIFTEEN Police officers working on this case for three years, spending thousands of pounds, are cringing that they took this folie a deux seriously.

There's a gang of really guilty foxes somewhere saying 'shit, our cover is blown ' we almost got away with it'

It’s cars. Cars are killing the cats. Then foxes are predating the dead/dying cats. That’s what the police are saying. They are not saying foxes killed the cats.

This also fits with SNARL saying that the cats were killed by blunt force trauma and mutilated after death. They were, it’s just that the blunt force trauma was traffic and the mutilation was a fox.

If you really care about cats (and other pets, and children), then put your energy into road safety campaigns, lower speed limits in urban areas, etc. That’s what’ll save lives.

Thinking about it, if it’s true that more of the cases were in South Croydon and Caterham than further in towards London, that backs up the car theory even more. Those areas are still highly populated, presumably with lots of cats and urban foxes, but have wider roads and I think in general higher speed limits than central Croydon or inner suburban London, so more opportunity for cats to be killed by cars then scavenged.

@Miladymilord - my two cats (who lived till old age) used to tag team on the spiders. It was awesome to watch. They disliked each other (two sisters) but loved killing spiders together.

There’s a big hairy one in my bath right now, Bellini, if you’d like to send her round?

Agreed Potplant! Sadly I bet it'll be vigilante campaigns against urban foxes instead.

Yes sorry if my posts didn't make it clear I agree that it's cars then foxes. Although I know that foxes do and can attack and kill cats.

It will be cars then foxes with the odd human just as there has always been. Bagged up cats will be people who have spotted a dead cat and bagged it up but don’t want to carry it away or dropped on the known owners doorstep. Collars being returned has been explained before, find one with an address and pop it back.

If you want a safe cat you need a house cat with garden enclosure.