Cat's Death In Somerville Not 'Ritualistic,' Police Say

SOMERVILLE, MA — Police say a cat that was found mutilated in Somerville was killed by an animal, not a human. Officers found the cat Thursday and brought it to a veterinarian, who determined that its "extreme" injuries were caused by a canine species, possibly a coyote or fisher cat, police said.

"It appears that the two predators may have been fighting over the cat leading to the extreme injuries," the Somerville Police Department said in a statement.

Social media posts circulated Thursday claiming the cat was killed in a "ritualistic manner" by a person. Police said those reports were false.