The so-called Croydon Cat Killer “mutilated” my cat, says a grieving owner after it was found dead in Carshalton.

People have been warned to remain vigilant when letting their pets out at night after Basil was discovered during the morning of October 19.

The ginger feline had both his tail and ears cut off, according to owner Gillian Hann, and his stomach was sliced open.

South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (SNARL) suspect the incident is “human-related” and have connected it with a series of others they’re investigating.

But Gillian, who says she’s now too scared to go out at night, is convinced her cat’s death was the work of the commonly dubbed Croydon Cat Killer.

READ: Pet owners warned as cat is found 'mutilated' in Carshalton

She said: “I looked at the body myself - don't get me wrong, I'm not a vet - but I couldn't see any chew marks or bite marks.

“His ears were cleanly sliced off from the base, and his tail was clearly cut off right from the coccyx.

“Then his collar was cut off - a clean cut, like with a pair of scissors or a knife - and it was placed next to his body.”

It was only after her neighbour found Basil dead in their garden that she was alerted to the incident.

The situation has left them “physically sick”, causing them to have “nightmares”, while Gillian fears Basil’s tail could be brought back to the scene of the incident.

Although she hasn’t ruled out the possibility of a fox having interfered with Basil’s body, she believes the initial killing was human-related.

Gillian added: “I'm not doubting that a fox will interfere with a cat's body but I don't think the initial killing [of Basil] was a fox. No, not for one minute.

“When it gets dark I can't see out there and I'm worried to go out because we don't know who is out there.

“He's jumping fences and gardens and stuff. Who's looking? Who's watching the house? Who's watching if you've got a cat or not?

“It's not nice, it's a horrible feeling.”

A spokeswoman for Parkside Veterinary Centre, in Ruskin Road, said they have had two cats brought into them within the last two weeks with "very suspicious" injuries.

While she couldn't completely confirm the cause of their deaths, she added the presentations of the injuries were questionable.