Horrified neighbours have spoken out after two cats were found “mutilated” in Marlow last week.

The grisly remains of a white and ginger cat were discovered in Sandygate Road, near the Marlow Day Nursery and Marlow CofE Infant School, last Friday, while another cat was found dead on March 14.

South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty – SNARL – confirmed the wounds on both animals were inflicted by a “human being” after visiting both owners, who they said did not want to be identified.

SNARL warned cat owners to keep their pets indoors at night and asked for rabbits, guinea pigs and other outdoor animals to be moved indoors if possible in light of the M25 cat killer, who has thought to have killed hundreds of animals in the past few years – mainly cats, but also rabbits and foxes – and is still believed to be on the loose.

Worried residents in Sandygate Road spoke to the Marlow Free Press, saying the incidents were “dreadful”.

A neighbour who did not want to be named, said: “It’s dreadful isn’t it? We don’t have any pets but we often have cats come into our garden and to imagine finding one of them mutilated – it’s dreadful.

“We haven’t seen anything nasty or suspicious but it is worrying.”

Another resident, Elizabeth Millborrow, who has lived in Marlow for around 40 years, said it was “very worrying”.

She said: “I’m a great pet lover – I’ve always had dogs and so I can understand how it must feel.

“A long time ago cats were disappearing and I knew quite a few people whose cats went missing and were never found.

“I was absolutely horrified to read about this [latest incident].”

And another neighbour, who also did not want to be named, said he often fed the cats that came into his garden and while it did not affect him personally, it was “not very nice”.

He said: “We are concerned. I don’t like anything happening to animals. I can’t believe it.”