Police investigation after missing cat's severed tail posted through letterbox

Police investigation after missing cat's severed tail posted through letterbox A reward is being offered for any information A couple fear their beloved cat has been "murdered" after it vanished - and its severed tail was posted through their letterbox. Police are investigating after eight-year-old tabby Max disappeared from his home in Hull, East Yorkshire, last Monday, September 14. Owners Louise, 45, and Lisa, 47, found his distinctive white-tipped tail cut off and posted through their letterbox five days later. The animal lovers fear the beloved cat was killed intentionally in a "targeted attack" against them. Louise said: "We are devastated and heartbroken - who could do such a thing to an animal. He was murdered for no reason at all. It's not normal for him to go missing, so we knew something was wrong. "He'd only go as far as the front or back garden, he was really happy at home. I went out at 12pm last Monday and I put him in the front garden, telling him I'd be back later. But when I got home, he was nowhere to be seen. Normally, he'd come running up to my car, but there was no sign of him." The couple put up missing posters and started a social media appeal after becoming convinced something bad had happened to him. On Saturday morning, Lisa went to collect their mail from the shared post area at their block of flats - but she made the horrific discovery. Louise said: "I just heard Lisa screaming and crying. That is something I will never forget. She was calling for me to ring the police. I started crying and screaming. I just broke down. I thought Lisa must have found him collapsed on the floor - but when I got there I realised it was not his whole body, it was just his tail. It's definitely his - he's a tabby cat with a white tip on the tail. It looks like a paintbrush." She then reported it to Humberside Police. Max's tail has been sent to a specialist vet in Liverpool to look for DNA which could potentially identify whoever handled it. Forensics have also checked the letterbox for any other clues. She has also been told by police they do not think it is an "animal attack". Louise said: "I've got horrible images in my head that the tail was taken off while he was alive. I go through phases of not feeling anything, like a zombie, and then all of a sudden I get waves of emotion. It's awful not knowing where the rest of his body is." She described Max as "full of character" and a "huge part of her family". Louise said he spent most of his time sleeping on his bed. He was also a "patient big brother" to the couple's other cat, three-year-old Maple. Maple has been sent to stay with a friend because the couple no longer feel safe keeping her at the flat. The ordeal has also devastated plans for Louise and Lisa's wedding after nine years together. They are still going ahead with the ceremony but have cancelled the celebration they had planned afterwards. Louise said: "It has put a massive shadow over it. We've told all of our guests that we aren't doing anything afterwards now, we're just going to the registry office and then for one drink. We were originally going to go to a pub in Hull to have a buffet. "We still want to get married, we just can't bear the thought of celebrating." Humberside Police said officers were called at around 12.30pm on September 19 after a cat's tail was pushed through the letterbox of an address on Appleton Road. Anyone with CCTV or information about what happened has been urged to call 101 quoting reference 26132718. They have also set up a GoFundMe and will use the money as a reward to anyone to gives vital information about the incident that leads to an arrest of conviction. A vigil will be held in front of their Appleton Road home at 7pm on Sunday, September 27. Anyone is welcome, whether they knew Max or not. Yellow ribbons will be tied on Max's favourite tree in his memory. The whereabouts of Max is still unknown.