ALBANY, N.Y. — An upstate New York man has been sentenced to two years in prison for the gruesome killing of a cat and won’t be allowed to have pets once he’s released.

WTEN-TV reports 45-year-old John Gehrlein, of Albany, was sentenced Thursday. A jury in June found Gehrlein guilty of felony aggravated animal cruelty.

Police say they found a nearly decapitated cat in Gehrlein’s backyard in December 2016. Investigators say the animal’s head was only attached to its body by its spinal cord.

Police say Gehrlein admitted to killing the cat but didn’t provide an explanation for his actions.

As part of his sentence, Gehrlein will be prohibited from owning an animal once he’s release.