Charges pending after police say cat was taken from Batavia home

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BATAVIA - Charges of animal cruelty and criminal damage to property are pending against a Batavia woman who police said kidnapped a neighbor's cat and dumped it near Lily Lake.

The woman, 45, is not being identified because she has not yet been formally charged with trapping Linus, a 9-year-old domestic shorthair, police said.

Sgt. Patrick Woerly said the woman believed the cat was killing chipmunks and birds

"The charges suggested by the state's attorney are criminal damage to property, a class 4 felony and animal cruelty, a class a misdemeanor," Woerly said.

The cat's owners, Jody Lay of the 100 block of North Harrison Street, said Linus likes to be outside in nice weather. He can come into an enclosed porch she and her husband leave open for him. The porch is stocked with food and water.

"She felt it was killing her chipmunks," Lay said. "She believes she owns all chipmunks in the neighborhood. Our cat has caught them, but I have never seen a dead one. He does not have any claws so it would be difficult to decimate chipmunks without claws.  He brought a live one into the house, once. We put it outside."

Lay said when she did not find Linus outside around May 28, she and her husband Matt Lay put up fliers throughout the neighborhood.

"The neighbors have been very very supportive," Lay said. "A lot of people in the neighborhood know him. He is just friendliest cat. They are very upset about it."

Linus does not have a collar because he tears them off, but he does have a microchip, she said.

Now that she knows the cat was dumped near Lily Lake, Lay said they've put fliers up  in Maple Park and Elburn as well as going around on foot calling his name.

The Lays' neighbor became the subject of a police investigation when she bragged about luring him into a trap at a party this week, police said.

Lay said when another neighbor told her about what the woman said, she filed a police report that night.

"She was bragging that she bought a 39-cent can of tuna at Aldi and trapped our cat," Lay said. "She said he was hissing at her. I would be hissing at her, too."

If you find Linus, the Lays would like you to call them at 630-406-9013 or the  Batavia police at 630-454-2500.