Residents in a quiet Australia neighborhood awoke to the blast of a car exploding early Tuesday morning. What they found was even more disturbing: a mutilated cat, and an ominous message written in its blood.
The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) is now investigating the incident in Arundel, Australia, according to the Courier-Mail.
Investigators who responded to the torched car sitting in a homeowner's driveway encountered the gruesome scene. The cat, that did not belong to the vandalized homeowner, had been decapitated and had all four paws cut off. On the garage door, a message written in the animal's blood read, "WHERS [sic] MY MONEY?" and "TIK TOK!"
"This cat suffered a horrific, gruesome and painful death," RSCPA chief executive Mark Townend told the publication.
Neighbor Rhonda Gibson told The Daily Mail that the community is home to many retired people and is generally quiet.
"[The mutilation] makes you feel ill, but thankfully it wasn't our cat," Gibson said.
Senior Sgt. Craig McGrath told the Brisbane Times that the residents likely knew the attacker.
“It’s horrendous, not only for the residents but also for the community as a whole," McGrath told the publication. "It’s something which I haven’t encountered previously and yeah, it’s quite disgraceful."
Investigators believe the car was torched after someone doused the vehicle with gasoline and set it ablaze.
The RSPCA is offering a $5,000 reward to anyone who has information on the person responsible for the animal's mutilation.
Support HuffPost
Already contributed? Log in to hide these messages.