More than 100 people gathered under the moonlight in Hull for an emotional vigil for Max the cat. People travelled from across Hull and East Yorkshire to attend the candle-lit vigil on Sunday evening, with one person even driving more than three hours all the way from Birmingham to pay her respects.
The eight year-old rescue cat’s tragic story ended with his body being found on Friday – his severed tail had been posted through his owners’ letterbox almost a week earlier. He had last been seen by Louise and Lisa in the shared garden of their Appleton Road flat at about 12pm on Monday 14 September. When they returned to their home at 4pm, Max had disappeared.
Initially, they thought he may have run away and the pair posted appeals on Facebook asking for information about any sightings of Max. They described their cat as “daft as a brush” who loved people, “especially men”.
But on Saturday, September 19, Lisa made a horrifying discovery when she opened her mailbox slot in the couple’s apartment building. Max’s severed tail was lying inside.
Police were called and the tail, which Lisa believes was pulled off, has been sent for forensic testing. On Friday, September 25, the distraught couple found his body in woodland near their home.
They believe Max’s body was placed in the woods behind Appleton Road and Cropton Road sometime that day. The pair said they had searched the woods multiple times over the past two weeks, without finding any trace of Max. The body was discovered by a neighbour who was walking their dog.
The horrific incident has left the couple living in fear and they have since sent their other cat away to live with friends for its own safety. Lisa thanked the public for the amount of “love and support” the couple has been given and asked local residents to check CCTV.
Tonight, the couple held a vigil outside their home, which was attended by more than 100 people. “Max shone a light in our darkest days, we won’t give up ‘til we get justice done,” a heartbroken Lisa told those gathered. Candles were lit and placed at the foot of Max’s favourite tree, which was wrapped in ribbon to pay tribute to the much-loved cat.
Lisa stood up proudly in front of the huge crowd at the vigil and said: “We have to remember the good memories and his cheeky face – not how he ended up but how he lived. He was an amazing cat.”
Louise and Lisa said the support demonstrated at the vigil was ‘overwhelming’. “We feel so loved, and we know Max was loved.”
“Max will never be forgotten, he’s leaving a legacy of pure love and joy that will never be replaced,” Lisa said, The couple’s dog is not coping with the loss of Max and their other cat has moved out to live with friends.
But despite family life being upside down, the couple paid tribute to Humberside Police for their hard work. “We just want justice for Max, we want answers. Forensics need to find something, I know they are going above and beyond,” Lisa added.
Simone Robinson, also of Appleton Road, knew Max the cat and had fond memories of the feline who she described as a ‘lovely cat’. Simone said: It’s shaken a lot of the community here, we are so worried because there are a lot of strays in this part of Hull too.
“Max was just a poor, innocent animal – it makes you think, what would they do next?” she added. “I’ve got five cats and since we found out what happened to Max I just hold them tight everyday and every night. We are worried,I have been double-checking my doors are locked and just always give my cats a kiss goodnight now.”
Kim Cross travelled to the vigil from Greatfield in East Hull and described the crime against Max as ‘absolutely evil’. She said: “Whoever did this wants the same thing done to them. I’ve been sitting in my house thinking what this wicked and evil person might do next. I have cats, I’ve never really let them out but I definitely won’t now.”
Lydia D’aulerio, travelled all the way from Birmingham to attend the vigil and said: “I just can’t believe it, I can’t comprehend what has happened.” She said the journey was absolutely worth it, because the community ‘has to come together’ to oppose evil: “We should stand together against animal abuse, it is horrific,” she added.
One neighbour who attended the vigil, but did not want to give her name, said: “It is just absolutely appalling. We only moved here two years ago. And do you know what, our cat has gone missing too. We hunted for him for a year, and he was chipped – we’ve just had no trace of him. It really makes you wonder, we’ve never had any trace of him at all. Maybe more cat owners might come forward?”
Jenny Musgrave, the founder of Jenny’s Cat House – a small cat rescue based in Hull, was at the vigil and explained: “Cats give people security and love, something a lot of people don’t get from human contact.” She said she was worried about cats around Hull: “It’s so scary that there is someone out there that could do this horrible, nasty thing. This vigil is bringing awareness to the fact that cats mean something to people. This incident is horrendous, so upsetting.”
Angie Neilson, from Victoria Dock in Hull, was still mourning the death of her own cat in March. She said: “As a cat-lover, it’s such a sick thing to happen to a defenceless animal. I don’t live around here, but I just wanted to show my support. You worry about all your other cats – I hope they catch the person responsible. I worry it might not just stay with that but it could carry on to something worse.”
James Everett, of nearby Cropton Road, explained it was his grandmother who found Max the cat in woodland. “It’s been tough for everyone, there’s been a very uneasy atmosphere.” James explained that he had now banned his cats from leaving their home.
A Just Giving page was set up by a friend of the owners to raise money to be given as a reward for any information that may lead to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for Max’s death. The page has raised £1,500 since it was set up on Tuesday.
On Monday, Humberside Police issued a statement which said that anyone with information that may insist with the investigation is asked to call the non-emergency number 101 quoting reference 26*132718.
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