More than 100 cats are reported to have been found mutilated across the South of England in the past year amid fears a prolific cat killer continues to operate across the region. 
 
 Forty severed cat corpses – as well as several butchered foxes and rabbits - have been collected with severed heads, tails and paws since October and are currently undergoing post-mortem examinations. 
 
 But the overall number of cats reported to have been murdered in a similar way over the past 18 months exceeds 100, according to South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (SNARL). 
 
 SNARL, which operates in the Croydon area, identified the recurring attacks in September last year, and have since been taking reports and collecting the butchered bodies to help police find the killer. 
 
 “Initially we were informed of 10 cases from around the Croydon area,” Boudicca Rising, co-founder of SNARL, told The Independent. 
 
 “We shared the stories on Facebook and other people from further afield started coming forward and saying the same had happened to their animals. There are now over a hundred that we know about.” 
 
 The RSPCA is currently carrying out post-mortem examinations on the animal corpses and Scotland Yard has been investigating the case since late-January. 
 
 Tony Jenkins, the other co-founder of SNARL, said: “We’ve had cases as far as Luton, plus two in Surrey, with a possible third as far as Farnborough. Other reports have been from all over London including Richmond, Kingston, Stepney and Finchley. 
 
 “So calling the culprit the Croydon Cat Killer is inaccurate – it’s misleading. It’s happening right across the South.” 
 
 Post-mortem tests have so far confirmed the animals died from 'blunt force trauma', and some have speculated the culprit is luring them in and then using brute force such as batting or kicking to kill them, before mutilating the bodies and leaving the animals where they were found. 
 
 “Blunt force trauma doesn’t necessarily mean the animal was hit by a car,” said Mr Jenkins. “Some of the cats have had undigested chicken in their stomachs, which suggests the killer is luring the cats. Blunt force trauma could be a baseball bat or a kick. 
 
 “It looks like the killer takes them away and does what he does then puts the cat back where he finds them. It is often right on people’s doorsteps or driveways. The killer clearly wants the dead animals found." 
 
 While the majority of the victims have been cats, similar attacks have also taken place on foxes and rabbits. 
 
 Among the reported murders there have been three unconfirmed reports of foxes being beheaded, one confirmed report of a fox with no ears and a case of two pet decapitated rabbits found by their owner laying side-by-side in a secure hutch. 
 
 “It’s not just the poor animals suffering, it is the owners as well,“ said Mr Jenkins. ”For some people the cat is part of their family. It’s a little furry human. So this is really horrific. People are really devastated by it. 
 
 “Cruelty to animals has been going on forever. But these cases are very particular, that’s why they stand out. 
 
 Ms Rising added: “This isn’t someone coming home and kicking the dog because they’re frustrated at work. This is very deliberate. It’s an attack on people as well. Some people have been completely violated by the whole thing. 
 
 "The police can only act on physical evidence, which is why we’ve been collecting the bodies. There is now quite a collection of physical evidence so we hope the murderer will be caught soon." ||||| In early December 2015, PETA offered up to £2,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for killing and dismembering cats in Croydon and West Norwood. With the twisted individual apparently still on the loose as the killing spree continues – authorities suspect two puppies and a rabbit fell victim to the same perpetrator – we’re now increasing the reward to up to £5,000. 
 
 According to reports, at least seven cats in the area have been found dead in recent months, having been either disembowelled or decapitated. Other people in the area have reported that cats have returned home with stab wounds. Locals fear that the perpetrator may have killed as many as 32 cats over the last two years and that more deaths are imminent. 
 
 It’s imperative that any community faced with such sadistic and violent acts take measures to find the culprit and bring him or her to justice. Animal abusers are a danger to everyone: they take out their issues on humans and non-humans alike and must be caught before they act again. History shows that past incidents involving cruelty to animals regularly appear in the records of serial rapists and murderers. 
 
 You Can Help ||||| The so-called Croydon Cat Killer is believed to have claimed another two victims, it has emerged tonight. 
 
 The cat ripper is thought to be responsible for the murders of cats in Guildford and Orpington in the space of three days. 
 
 The deaths were confirmed by animal welfare group South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (SNARL), who are keeping a record of the incidents. 
 
 A statement on the group’s Facebook page read: “We are sad and angry to announce the deaths of two cats who appear to have been murdered by the same person whose actions are being investigated by SNARL, the police and RSPCA. 
 
 “The first cat was found in Guildford on Monday and the second this morning in Orpington. 
 
 “No further details will be released until the process of owner identification and notification is complete. 
 
 “May they rest in peace.” 
 
 It comes just weeks after claims the killer struck four times in the space of a week with several mutilated bodies dumped across south London. 
 
 Cats have also been murdered in north London and Surrey, the charity said. 
 
 Investigators believe the same person is responsible for the deaths with up to 50 animals slaughtered across the capital over the past few years. 
 
 The RSPCA said anyone with concerns that a cat may have been deliberately harmed should contact the organisation on 0300 123 4999. 
 
 Peta has offered a £5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the perpetrator 
 
 Anyone with information about any of the incidents call police on 101 or in confidence via CrimeStoppers on 0800 555 111. To report incidents to SNARL call 07961 030064 or 07957 830490 ||||| The death toll shows no sign of abating. A fortnight ago a decapitated cat was found in Archway, north London. Last Monday another was discovered in Guildford, Surrey. Then a body turned up on Thursday in Orpington, Kent. 
 
 In March dead cats were found in the London districts of Richmond, Tottenham and Streatham. 
 
 All appear to be linked to a wave of mutilations carried out by the same person according to Snarl, South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty, a small charity that has been collecting information on the dead cats for the last seven months. 
 
 Originally it was thought that whoever was behind the killings was operating almost exclusively in the Croydon area. Then, as news of the macabre findings spread, and bodies turned up around London and beyond, Snarl urged the media to drop the “Croydon cat killer” label. 
 
 “People still think it’s only happening in Croydon and it’s not,” said Snarl’s founder, Boudicca Rising. “We’ve had attacks from Luton all the way down to Surrey across to Farnborough, Richmond, Finchley, Stepney – basically pretty much within the M25 and outside of it. People said they would have kept their cats indoors if they had known it went beyond Croydon.” 
 
 The Croydon cat killer label was doubly misleading. Foxes, rabbits and birds have also been found mutilated and killed in similar fashion. 
 
 Rising believes the killings are the work of the same person. “We’ve got so used to seeing the injuries now that we rarely make a mistake. They are mostly bodies with the heads, or heads and tails, removed.” 
 
 What is not clear is whether the perpetrator is becoming more prolific or whether people are more inclined to report finding a dead animal now. 
 
 Snarl claims it is aware of around 50 cases in the last two to three years that have the same hallmarks of the current mutilations. In addition, its vets have examined eight cats that had been mutilated and are in the process of conducting post-mortems on a further 12. It is also combing through reports of 80 to 100 other reports of animal deaths that it suspects may be linked. 
 
 Separately, the RSPCA has 20 cases of its own that have been investigated by its vets. The society believes that in each case the cause of death was blunt force trauma, “likely consistent with being hit by a moving vehicle”. 
 
 It said: “Examination of the bodies we have received showed that the heads and tails appear to have been removed by a human. A dedicated team is continuing to work closely with the police and looking into all evidence to see if there is deliberate cruelty involved.” 
 
 Rising is convinced that the animals were killed before being dismembered, perhaps by being thrown against a wall. In some cases it appears the perpetrator used bait to lure the animal. 
 
 Until the body count stops rising, Snarl says anyone who finds a dead cat should call the charity immediately and urges owners to keep their pet indoors overnight.
– Southern England is now on high alert after a series of animal killings across the region—mostly in the form of beheadings—has rendered the original moniker, the Croydon Cat Killer, far too specific. The person is killing well outside the London borough of Croydon and claiming not just felines, but possibly foxes, rabbits, and birds, reports the Guardian. Reports on the number of confirmed mutilated cat corpses conflict somewhat, but the Independent says more than 40 have been found since October, and both it and the Guardian put the overall victim count in excess of 100. "It looks like the killer ... does what he does, then puts the cat back where he finds them. It is often right on people's doorsteps or driveways," says the co-founder of the South Norwood Animal Rescue and Liberty (SNARL) charity. The RSPCA says its own post-mortem exams have determined "blunt force trauma" was the cause of death, with the mutilations—slashed neck or decapitation, slashed belly or organs removed, tail or leg severed—likely happening afterward. SNARL has been pushing the media to call the reaper the M25 Animal Killer, with M25 a reference to the 117-mile highway that nearly encircles London, as the mutilated animals have been found within and outside of it. PETA, for its part, has offered a roughly $7,000 reward for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the killer, writing, "History shows that past incidents involving cruelty to animals regularly appear in the records of serial rapists and murderers." But the brutality has yet to slow; the Evening Standard reports two more cats may have fallen victim to the killer last week. (This serial bunny killer may have used Google Earth to track down rabbit hutches.)