A cat has been covered in pink spray paint in a bewildering animal cruelty case in Williamstown on Thursday.
Owner Phil Burgoine said he was puzzled by the attack on his four-year-old cat, who is named Rhett after Gone with the Wind and even has a sister called Scarlett.
“I was up probably a few minutes before 7am and he walked in seemingly unconcerned, I presume looking for breakfast,” Mr Burgoine said.
“But when I saw him, he was covered with paint – all across his back, down his tail, all over his face, chest and down on the front legs.
“By my reckoning, it would have taken at least 15 or 20 seconds to do it because of the coverage on him.
“I just don’t know how someone could hold him down – there would have been some screaming and stuff going on.”
Mr Burgoine took Rhett to Greencross Vets in Williamstown, concerned the paint could be lead-based and cause poisoning.
“They had not seen anything like it,” he said. “They were a bit concerned about what they would do, so they Googled it and it suggested using vegetable oil to dissolve the paint, which by and large worked.
“He’s a very placid cat, doesn’t go off the block much, so I’m just a wee bit puzzled by the whole thing.”
The RSPCA’s Sophie Buchanan said spray paint had the potential to be toxic, especially if ingested while the cat was grooming themself with their tongue.
“Causing a cat to became ill by spraying it with paint could be an offence under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act,” she said.
“Offences under this act can attract penalties of up to two years’ imprisonment or fines of up to $38,243.
“We would urge anyone who believes that a cruelty offence towards an animal may have been committed to contact us on 9224 2222.”
Rhett is now back home resting with Scarlett.
