A North Shore woman whose cat turned up dead on the other side of town believes someone knows what happened to her much-loved pet — and her neighbours believe more cats have been targeted.Alexia Welsh of Unsworth Heights, on Auckland's North Shore, told the Herald that she last saw Willow on April 14, when the cat snuck outside about 9pm.Welsh said her family kept their cats inside at night but Willow and another cat, Freddie, hopped out of the window that Sunday.Neither cat came home before dawn and then Freddie returned injured — before Welsh received the call every pet owner dreads.At 1pm, the Henderson Animal Centre called to tell her that Willow had been found by one of its contractors on Mt Wellington Highway, a 30-minute drive away over the Harbour Bridge and down the Southern Motorway.The 5-year-old tortoiseshell's collar was missing and she was identified by microchip.Freddie's injuries were severe and he was rushed to a vet for treatment to his back leg and defensive wounds.Welsh said the vet told her the injuries were not consistent with a cat or dog fight and could have been caused by a trap, noting that other injuries to his face and front paws showed he had "really fought hard to get away".The vet told the Herald that they did not believe a gin trap-style device had been used but could not rule out another trap with a noose or a swinging door mechanism."There's no way she would have gone willingly in anyone's car unless she'd been trapped," Welsh said of Willow. "She's very timid." Welsh believes that one of her neighbours is targeting local cats.She lives near the busy Northern Motorway and doesn't believe Willow would have strayed into traffic if she was released in Mt Wellington."I shudder to even think whether they've just chucked her out of the car," Welsh told the Herald.She said Willow had previously gone missing for four days, returning home "very scared" and "jumping at any slight noise", with Welsh wondering if she was caught and released to "teach her a lesson".Willow is not the first of her pets to go missing.Her cat Mickey went missing in February and has still not been found.She has appealed online for information but was blunt in her message to her community after Willow's death."This is not purely coincidence, especially given the timing between Willow's death and Freddie's injury.We strongly believe there is someone in the neighbourhood who is potentially trapping, dumping, and disposing of local cats." A Facebook group for the neighbourhood has seen multiple posts from residents whose cats have gone missing or returned home with injuries.Some residents spoken to by the Herald referenced anonymous posts made to the local Facebook group purportedly by a person threatening roaming neighbourhood cats."You love your cats so keep them home," the message read.The message went on to say that the cats were catching birds but not targeting rats, so rat traps and rat poison would be placed. �So please keep your cat at home to not be hurt by the traps." A woman who lives a street away from Welsh shared details of her own missing pet."One night he didn't come back.The days went by and he didn't come back," she told the Herald.An SPCA spokesperson confirmed it was investigating the incidents.There's no way she would have gone willingly in anyone's car unless she'd been trapped.Cat owner Alexia Welsh