Family seeks answers after eight cats vanish

A Richmond family is mourning the loss of eight cats in just three years after they “disappeared without a trace”.

Three years ago, Holly Squire and her family moved to the top of Hart Rd onto a hectare section.

Over this time, they have adopted and lost eight young cats aged between six months and one year old - Jett, Polly, Brian, George, Brodie, Indii, Charlie and Frank.

All were microchipped and desexed.

“They just disappeared without a trace. Nothing at all has been coming up on the lost and found pets page (on Facebook). It is just so strange,” Holly says.

“My husband mentioned that hawks could be getting them, but we’ve never seen a body.”

Holly says their property backs onto the Richmond Hills and believes that someone in the area is targeting pet cats. She is now looking for answers and was blown away by the response she got from a recent Facebook post.

“The feedback I’ve been getting from people living in this area is phenomenal, there are just so many cats going missing.”

Between 1 May 2024, and 1 May 2025, The Nelson SPCA took in 264 stray animals.

Of these, 223 were felines (95 cats and 128 kittens), but only 37 of those felines were successfully reclaimed by their owners (34 cats and 3 kittens) – a reclaim rate of 16.6 per cent.

Holly says her 11-year-old daughter is “distraught” every time one of their cats doesn’t come home.

“She’s gutted. She goes out most nights and calls them.”

The first cat went missing around three months after they moved in.

“He just went out one day and never came back.”

After adopting two more kittens, they also vanished when they were around six months old. This pattern has continued over the past three years with the last cat going missing early last week.

Holly says they will “definitely” not be adopting any more cats.

The family also has four older cats who prefer to stay indoors, as well as two dogs.

SPCA Nelson centre manager, Amy Sturkenboom, says while cases of missing pets are not new, the rise of social media has significantly increased public awareness and visibility around them.

While they have not observed a notable increase in the number of missing pet cases, they have been receiving more reports from concerned owners seeking assistance in finding their animals.

“Reuniting pets with their families is a priority for us at SPCA, and we remain committed to providing support where we can,” Amy says.

“Losing a pet can be an incredibly distressing experience, particularly when families are left without answers or closure, and we deeply empathise with these situations.”

She says microchipping is one of the most effective methods for ensuring lost pets can be safely returned home, and desexing reduces the likelihood of animals roaming in search of a mate.

“If someone finds a stray, SPCA Centres and most veterinary clinics are equipped to scan for a microchip to help identify the owner.”

Email [email protected] if you have any information.