– Looked like someone had a bat

What was the start of an ordinary day for the Hasle Myhrvold family, became a day they will remember forever.

Matron Camilla Hasle Myhrvold (50) let the cat Bobby (14 months) out as usual, on Friday morning at 7 o’clock.

– I received a message at 8.14 from someone who said that something had happened to a cat that looked like our cat. I ran out to check, almost before I had finished reading the message, says Myhrvold.

She found the cat right outside her apartment in Ole Bull’s gate at Torshov in Oslo.

– Bobby was lying between some chairs and a pile of planks next to the house wall with bloodshot eyes, and with lots of blood spatter nearby. He was almost abused. It wasn’t so pretty, it was a very ugly sight, says Myhrvold to VG, about the macabre and sad sight that met her on Friday morning.

Now the family wonders what has happened to Bobby, whether someone has attacked it or whether a driver has hit it and run away.

Myhrvold says she will report the incident to the police.

– There were traces of blood further out in the road, so there may have been a collision, but the collar had been torn off. It looked like someone had a bat, or stepped on it, she says.

Buried the same day: – It was very, very sad

Bobby had broken his jaw and neck. In addition, the ears were filled with blood and the eyes were bloodshot, according to Myhrvold.

Camilla and Tiril went to the vet with Bobby, to hopefully get more answers about what had happened to the family pet.

“Veterinarians and the police have examined the cat, and concluded that it has suffered trauma,” says Myhrvold.

Now she wonders if others have seen what happened to Bobby, who was only 14 months old. The family had had the cat, which they refer to as a family member, since September last year.

– It happened in the middle of the morning rush hour, so it’s strange if no one has seen anything.

She has slept with Bobby every night since the family got him last autumn.

– It feels like having lost a family friend, she says clearly moved, before mum follows up:

– We cry all the time. The whole family is really devastated, explains Camilla.

After seeing the vet and talking to the police, the family was offered an autopsy on Bobby.

They didn’t want that, but instead they wanted to bury Bobby at the family’s cabin in Finnskogen in Sweden. They already did that on Friday afternoon.

– It was very, very sad, but at the same time it was nice. It’s a place we really like, so it’s nice to know that Bobby is there forever, says Tiril (14).

See some everyday glimpses of Bobby in the photo gallery below:

– Nothing can replace Bobby

It was Camilla and Tiril who were the driving forces behind getting the family a pet, and there was no doubt that it was a cat that would become the family’s furry friend.

As soon as they got the thumbs up and the go-ahead from family father Christian (42) and Hjalmar (13), Camilla and Tiril found Bobby in September.

– We were really just going to greet him, but before we knew it we had him home with us. We had nothing ready, so it was an impulsive but incredibly good decision, says Tiril.

– He quickly became the boss of the family, and walked around here and was a playful cat. We talked a lot with him, and he was quickly integrated as part of the family, says Camilla.

The Hasle Myhrvold family is happy that they have a grave to go to, and have taken care of Bobby’s necklace. Now the family wants to get a new cat, and has already started the hunt.

– Nothing can replace Bobby, but we already feel a void, says Tiril.

Must report

The leader in NOAH – for animal rightsNOAH – for animal rights is a Norwegian animal rights organization established in 1989. NOAH’s ideology is based on the fact that animals, like humans, live for their own sake, and have a right to freedom and expression of life.Siri Martinsen, tells VG that they receive dozens of notifications about mistreatment and killing of cats every year.

– Cats are definitely one of the animals most exposed to violence and mistreatment. Research shows that cats can be particularly vulnerable to sadistic violence, says Martinsen to VG.

One of the reasons is that cats are visible in the surroundings around us, and that they are rarely with their owner when they are outdoors, says the NOAH leader.

– Is violence against cats a common problem?

– I would say it is too common a problem. There are definitely too many cases where cats are mistreated. These are difficult but serious cases – which we recommend people report. NOAH also reviews as many cases as we can, and will review this one. There is a great risk of repetition with such violence against cats.

Mother Camilla says they have also been advised by the police and the vet to report the case. They have decided to do that.

– What is a cat’s life worth, to some people, do you think?

– It’s very different, but we know that people who commit this type of crime often have the view that wildlife is worthless and have very little respect for cats, for example.

Operations manager Tor Gulbrandsen tells Avisa Oslo that they were alerted by Camilla just after 10.00.

– We sent a patrol to the scene who spoke to her. It is unclear what happened, but an investigation has been launched. As things stand now, it sounds quite violent and macabre. It is being investigated, so let’s hope they get on with it, he says.

VG has not succeeded in getting an answer from the police on Saturday.