Body of small cat found 'completely burned' on Portobello beach

The body of a small cat has been found burned on a beach in Edinburgh.

The remains were found within a fire on Portobello Beach by a member of the public, who works for the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, at around 7am on November 25.

The cat’s body has been described as “completely burned” and unrecognisable.

It is not yet known whether the cat was already deceased before being placed in the fire, and the Scottish SPCA is attempting to find a microchip to help identify the animal.

The charity said a report was received that two middle-aged men were seen in the area behaving suspiciously near a bonfire around 4.20pm on Monday, November 24.

A Scottish SPCA Inspector said: “This is a very upsetting case and we are keen to establish what happened.

“At this stage, we cannot confirm if the cat was dead or alive before being placed in the fire.

“If anyone was in the area of Portobello Beach on Monday evening or Tuesday morning and saw anything suspicious, or has any information at all that could help, we would urge them to contact our confidential animal helpline on 03000 999 999.”