A mother from Giblands Estate in Okehampton was horrified to find her cat seemingly shaven and injected with a mysterious substance.

Gina Harvey came back from the school run on March 14 to find her cat Mufasa had a section of his back shaved with a small needle mark in the centre.

The cat was rushed to the vet to be checked.

Gina said: “He has suddenly become very nervous of males, normally he’s a extremely loving cat but my husband and the male vet struggled to tend to him as he very much was nervous of them and didn’t want them touching him, but females he’s still completely fine with which is very much unlike him as he’s normally a very loving cat to anyone he comes across,”

Mufasa, nine months old, is recovering and has been prescribed anti-inflammatory medication and pain relief.

The cat’s brother who was let out at a similar time appears to be unharmed.

Another pet owner in North Tawton has described a similar incident with her male cat.

Karlee Folkes posted on Facebook that she came home to her cat on Sunday, March 16 to find the animal with four injection wounds within a shaved area on his stomach.

Karlee wrote on Facebook: “Our cat has been seen by a vet and bloods are being taken and sent to a toxicology centre for investigation. He is to be monitored closely. This is absolutely sickening behaviour and is most certainly a criminal offence. Police will be notified.”

A spokesperson for Devon and Cornwall Police said: “Police were notified following a report of a cat being shaved and possibly punctured with a needle in Giblands Park in Okehampton. The incident is said to have taken place on the afternoon of Friday, 14 March. Enquiries are ongoing.

“Anybody with information should contact police on 101 or via our website quoting 50250065332.”