A feline wanders along the sidewalk near New York and 12th streets on Thursday. Recent reports of cat mutilations have cat owners and the police department scrambling for answers, despite little evidence of who, or what, is responsible.

An animal could be responsible for some of the recent cat mutilations in Lawrence, police said Thursday.

A Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks biologist determined a calico cat, whose partial remains were found near Eighth Street and Monterey Way on Friday evening, was killed by an animal, Sgt. Bill Cory said.

There have been at least three reports of cat mutilations in Lawrence in the last four weeks. Two of the incidents are under investigation.

Cory said Lawrence pet owners are encouraged to be aware of the cat killings in the meantime.

Some local cat owners said they’ve taken notice and have been keeping a closer eye on their pets and keeping them inside, especially at night.

“It’s kind of scary, mainly because our outdoor cat is my daughter’s,” said Sarah Heironimus-Bishop of Lawrence. “I would hate for her to have to wake up one morning to find something terrible like that.”

One Lawrence man believes his cat was killed by a human. Mark McCanon found his 13-year-old Manx cat laid out in his backyard on Sept. 29. He said the cat had been cut open with a knife and gutted; its tail and hind legs were left nearby.

The string of animal cruelty that police are investigating began during the last full week of September, when police received reports in the 3200 block of West Ninth Street. One of those killings is possibly the work of another animal, Cory said.

Under city code it is illegal to let a cat run at large, unless it is kept on a leash, in an enclosed area, or on your own property. Habitual violators can be jailed.

“If you really want to keep your cat safe, you keep it indoors,” said Mary Prewitt, Lawrence-based Kansas director of the Humane Society of the United States. “Once you let your cat run wild or unrestrained, you’re running a risk.”