A CAT put in a plastic bag and dumped in a drain on Russell Island has died after frantic attempts to revive the emaciated animal.
The RSPCA is searching for those responsible for putting the cat in a bag, tying it up and leaving it to die.
RSPCA spokesman Michael Beatty said the cat was thought to be dead when spotted in a road drain on Wahine Drive by locals walking their dogs.
"They saw a bag that had a cat's paw poking out of a small hole and the cat appeared to be dead," Mr Beatty said.
But the cat was found barely alive when council officers, accompanied by a locals, responded the next day to a request to remove a dead animal.
"The cat was rushed back to the mainland by the member of the public and transferred to Wacol by the RSPCA ambulance," Mr Beatty said.
"The cat was stone cold, dehydrated and emaciated. On top of this a paralysis tick was also found on the cat.
"The vets attempted to revive the cat for three hours but sadly it eventually passed away."
Mr Beatty said that the RSPCA had tried to find out whether the cat had been reported lost but had not found any matches.
"Regardless of whether this cat was wild or stray, or a victim of long-term neglect by an owner, someone decided to put this cat through more suffering by going to the effort of placing it inside a bag, tying it up and leaving it to die an awful death," Mr Beatty said.
Anyone with any information is urged to call the RSPCA on 1300 ANIMAL.
