A KITTEN who was stolen from an Oxford estate plagued by animal cruelty has been found injured.

Six-month-old Peppa was tormented by youths with sticks before he was bundled into a bag in Blackbird Leys on Tuesday.

The family pet was found in the early hours of Friday with cuts to his paws and an inflamed liver caused by not eating or drinking for days.

His owner, Natalie Masterson, of Strawberry Path, said Peppa was now so distressed he was being treated with the sedative diazepam.

Miss Masterson said: “He is fine in the day as he can hear us around, but when it’s night time and it’s quiet, you can hear him meowing. The vet seems to think he is having nightmares and he doesn’t like to be left alone.

“The vet thinks he was trapped somewhere and was trying to escape as he has a few cuts on his pads and he had blood on his collar.”

Miss Masterson’s 10-year-old sister saw the ginger and white kitten being poked with sticks by a group of youths, aged about 15, in a field near the family home on the estate.

The cat was then put into a plastic bag by the youths before they walked off.

Miss Masterson, 20, added: “When you look at his face he does look very sad. He used to be a very happy cat, but now he just sleeps and he is definitely not himself.”

The incident has been reported to both the police and RSPCA, and follows a series of other attacks on cats on the estate.

In October 2007 the Oxford Mail revealed the RSPCA believed Staffordshire bull terriers were being bred in Greater Leys for illegal dog-fighting. Cats, cockerels and a rabbit had been attacked in the area.

In January this year, a 12-year-old tabby was attacked and killed by a pack of dogs in Greater Leys.

Two months earlier Laura Evans’ pet Tabbers was killed outside her house in Honeysuckle Grove, Greater Leys, by a dog goaded by two teenage boys.

Miss Evans, 24, said: “I don’t have any cats anymore as I couldn’t risk that happening to me again. It has been going on for so long now, it just seems like its never going to end.”

RSPCA spokesman Katy Geary said: “We would certainly appeal for anyone who has information on who is responsible to contact us or the police.

“I don’t know whether these incidents are linked at this stage, but they need to stop. I can appreciate how worried cat owners are in that area and I would certainly urge them to keep their eyes and ears open and report any incidents.”

A police spokesman said the incident is being investigated.

Anyone with any information should call police on 08458 505505 or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.

jrivett@oxfordmail.co.uk