Search for Sebastian: Ginger cat missing after vandals target Taranaki cattery

Sebastian is missing after vandals or would-be burglars attempted to break into the cattery where he was staying. Photo / Supplied

Has anyone seen Sebastian?

A "lovely but very timid" ginger cat is missing in the Normanby area are a senseless act of intentional damage at a local cattery last Thursday night.

"It's devastating, they have hurt a lot of people."

Cara Hayes, who owns Pawsome Cattery on Mountain Rd in Normanby, says her personal opinion of the people responsible for Sebastian's disappearance last week would be unprintable.

On Friday morning she woke up to the discovery someone had attempted to break into the cattery overnight, cutting open the animal enclosures.

"They had tried getting into the reception area but couldn't, so we believe they got angry and let cats out because they realised we don't hold cash on the premises."

She says every enclosure was deliberately opened by the vandals, giving every one of the 14 cats staying at the cattery the opportunity to get out.

"Fortunately 13 of those 14 are safely back with us. In total five cats had left the cattery enclosure, with the others staying in their beds or within the cattery area itself at least. When we discovered the break-in we immediately started looking for the missing five cats, and four quickly came back when I called them."

Sebastian however, was nowhere to be seen, says Cara.

"He could be making his way back to his home in Manaia - which is only 14km in a straight line from here."

She and his owner are hopeful he will be spotted in the area, as while he is timid and not too fond of people, he "does love his food" so may well be seen as he searches out a meal on his way.

Cara says while they already had security in place, they are now putting in extra measures to ensure this can't happen again.

"We have been in business nearly seven years now, and have never even come close to a cat getting out before because of the security and procedures we have in place. We are now amping those measures up even more, adding extra security cameras to the ones we already have, and installing new mesh in the enclosures that can't be cut."

Police came out to the cattery to try to get fingerprints from the areas touched, she says, but the heavy rain won't have helped.

"I just can't understand why someone would have done this and am appealing for anyone who sees a ginger cat who matches Sebastian's description to please contact myself or his owner as soon as possible."

At around 7kg, Sebastian is now larger than he appears in the photos available of him, she says. He is a 4-year-old male ginger cat with a white tummy and paws and is microchipped.

If anyone spots Sebastian, or a cat matching this description, please call Cara on 0274 401 791 or his owner Heather on 027 517 5511.