Wolston man strangled his cat to death and buried her in his garden

Tognetti's other cat, Oscar, has been rehomed.

A Wolston man has been banned from keeping animals for life after he strangled one of his cats to death with a trouser cord and buried her in a shallow grave in his garden.

23-year-old Michael Tognetti who lives on Main Street in Wolston appeared before magistrates in Birmingham after the cruel act.

Tognetti admitted a charge of causing unnecessary suffering to his tortoiseshell cat called Ruby.

RSPCA Inspector Smith was confronted with a shallow grave when she arrived at the property.

Birmingham Magistrates’ Court heard on Friday, October 23, how the RSPCA had visited Tognetti’s address on Sunday October 13 last year after receiving a report from a member of the public that he had deliberately killed his pet and buried her body in the garden of his home the day before.

Once there he told RSPCA animal rescuer, inspector Helen Smith, he was expecting a visit from the animal welfare charity.

He then and took her to an area of fresh soil in his garden with a spade lying next to it.

Inspector Smith then took off some top soil and found Ruby's body in a shallow grave.

Ruby's body was taken to a vet’s for examination - which revealed she had died due to strangulation.

Tognetti told Helen he had used a cord from his jogging bottoms and said it took about 30 seconds to kill Ruby.

He told Inspector Smith he did it because Ruby was elderly and he felt she needed to be put out of her misery.

The vet's report described Ruby to be of good bodily weight.

Inspector Smith said: “Anyone with concerns about an animal coming to the end of their life should seek veterinary advice and putting a pet to sleep to end any suffering should be done in the most humane way possible.”

Another cat at the property, a male called Oscar, was signed into RSPCA care and has since been rehomed.

In mitigation the court heard how in his mind Togenetti thought he was putting the cat out of its misery and had cooperated with the RSPCA.

As well as the life ban on keeping animals Tognetti was also handed a community service order for 24 months and was ordered to pay £300 costs and £90 victim surcharge.