An investigation into the ‘attempted murder’ of an elderly woman in Japan has yielded a very unusual suspect... A stray cat.

Mayuko Matsumoto’s daughter found her aged mother bleeding from about 20 bloody cuts on her face Monday, Japan Today reports.

"When we found her, blood covered everything above her chin. Her face was soaked in blood. I didn't know what had happened," Matsumoto's daughter told RKK.

The bedridden 82-year-old woman underwent emergency surgery for her injuries, while police launched an investigation into the presumed attempted murder case, assuming the cuts were from a knife, NHK reports. Matsumoto is unable to speak, and so, could not provide any clues about her ‘attacker.’

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Police found no signs of forced entry and no evidence of anyone entering or leaving her home in Mifune, Kumamoto Prefecture.

Investigators soon realised that Matsumoto’s injuries resembled cat scratches and turned their attention to furry four-legged suspects in the area. Their probe led them to one stray cat in particular, which had traces of blood on it.

NHK reported that police were analysing a blood sample taken from the cat’s claw. A police spokesperson would not directly comment on the case, but told AFP they were not disputing reports.