Amelia Tuanaki and Zeus, the cat who was shaved and killed in Morayfield.

Amelia Tuanaki and Zeus, the cat who was shaved and killed in Morayfield. Contributed

THE Polzin family is on "tenterhooks" after someone shaved and mercilessly butchered one of the family's cats and placed tufts of its fur around their Morayfield home.

Earlier this month, Mark Polzin and girlfriend Amelia Tuanaki were shocked when their cat Zeus turned up with a shaved back, just a day after a similar attack on the Polzins' other cat, Theo.

Clumps of cat fur soon started appearing on window sills inside the house the young couple share with Mark's family.

The shock soon turned to horror when Zeus disappeared and was found five days later hanging dead from a neighbour's tree with one eye removed.

"We sort of thought that maybe he would come back alive considering we were getting cat fur but then it was kind of heartbreaking to see him (hanging) in the tree," Amelia said.

Zeus the cat was killed at Morayfield contributed

"Because I was the last one there I saw everybody else crying, so I started crying and then when I did see him I felt like I was going to collapse.

"Zeus was a friendly cat... he played with everyone.

"We didn't think anyone would do something like this."

It's hit the whole family hard, but especially Mark and Amelia, who had owned the long-haired domestic cat since he was six weeks old and cared for him 24/7 after an injury in March.

Now Amelia and the Polzins are issuing a warning to other pet owners to keep an eye on their cats and appealing for any information that could help the police or the RSPCA track down the culprit.

Mark's mum, Wendy, said in almost 20 years in Morayfield the family had never had any problems but they were now taking extra safety precautions.

"We're hoping that it doesn't get any worse than it's been, just for our own safety we keep the house pretty well closed up," she said.

"We haven't slept a great deal."

WHAT'S MAKING NEWS

The family has continued to find fur placed in the house after finding Zeus hanging from the tree.

RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty described the incident as "creepy" and said an autopsy showed the cat was killed with a strike to the head.

"This does seem like a pretty disturbing incident, especially leaving the fur all over the place," Mr Beatty said.

"That's weird.

Zeus the cat was killed at Morayfield Contributed

"They could face charges of animal cruelty, whether or not they would be in the extreme end, probably not, depending on the circumstances."

He said one other similar incident had been reported in the area.

If you have any information, phone the RSPCA on 1300ANIMAL or Policelink on 131444.