Man accused of killing roommate's cat

AUSTIN (KXAN) - A man is accused of killing his roommate’s cat, Donna, while the other man was on vacation in September.

Christopher Shaw, 25, was left in charge of Donna while the cat's owner left town for eight days. When he returned, Shaw told his roommate that he had stepped on his friend's cat and that it scratched him, according to an arrest warrant.

Shaw allegedly told his friend he then kicked the cat and locked it in the laundry room, where it had been for several days.

But a vet's examination showed that Donna had suffered far worse atrocity than simply being kicked and locked in a room.

When the owner took Donna to the vet, the doctor found shehad severe head trauma, was blind, couldn’t walk and had her jaw bone ripped down. The feline’s jaw bone was exposed, and the wound was infected, according to the police report. She also had cuts on her legs and hind feet.

When presented with this information, police said Shaw admitted he actually kicked the cat down some stairs. However, two veterinarians said the cat’s injuries were not consistent with falling down stairs, either. Donna was an inside cat and did not go outside, the owner told police.

Instead of taking Donna to the vet, Shaw allegedly just locked her in the laundry room after "kicking or stopming on Donna, which would have caused ... pain and suffering to Donna," the arrest warrant said.

"Following the incident (he) did not seek medical treatment for Donna and instead left her locked in a small room to suffer for several days," the warrant said.

Shaw was not in custody as of Thursday afternoon. If convicted of cruelty to animals, he faces up to two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000.