Police Investigate Reports of Cat Thefts in Guildford

Published on: 9 Aug, 2024
Updated on: 10 Aug, 2024

By David Reading

Two men in a grey BMW are said to have been stealing cats in the Park Barn and Bellfields areas of Guildford.

According to reports on social media, eight cats went missing in late July or early August and are thought to have been stolen.

Surrey Police say they are investigating two official reports of cats being stolen in those areas of Guildford.

A police statement said today (August 9): “We have recently been made aware of community concerns regarding cat thefts in Guildford.

“As animal lovers, we appreciate how distressing these reports are for cat owners, and wanted to clarify the number of reports we’ve had so far in relation to this matter.

“Two reports have officially been made to police so far of cats being stolen or going missing in the Park Barn and Bellfields area of Guildford between Friday August 2 and Saturday, August 3.

“These reports are being investigated. No other reports have been made to us at this time.”

The police are appealing for information.

They say: “If you or someone you know has had a cat stolen from the Guildford area within the last few weeks, then please report it to us so we have the full picture of potential offences.

“If you have video doorbells, CCTV, dash cam or helmet cam footage that might have captured any activity relating to cat thefts over the past fortnight, please get in touch. Any piece of evidence you have, no matter how small, could be significant.

“If you witnessed any thefts or have any information that could assist our enquiries, please DM us quoting PR/45240088128.”

Annual estimates of the number of missing cats nationwide vary from 360,000 according to the Safer Pet website to 20,000 reported missing by the BBC’s Countryfile website in June. But all sources seem to agree that the number is on the increase with the South East pinpointed as UK’s missing pet hotspot.

Cats must be microchipped and registered by the time they are 20 weeks old. This includes cats that usually only stay indoors. Identification of cats by the microchip greatly assists cats being recovered by their owners.