Cats 'found hanged' on scrubland in Dukinfield
Two cats have been found dead, one with a noose around its neck, on scrubland in Greater Manchester.
The RSPCA said it believed the animals had been hanged.
The cats - one tortoiseshell and the other black and white - were discovered on land off Westmoreland Avenue in Dukinfield on Friday.
RSPCA inspector Natalie Avery said the animals would have "suffered enormously". She appealed to anyone with information to come forward.
The cats, both thought to be about a year old, were not wearing collars, nor were they micro-chipped.
Ms Avery said they could have been stolen and their owners might be looking for them.
She added that causing unnecessary suffering to a protected animal carried a maximum sentence of six months in prison and/or a £20,000 fine.