San Jose police on Monday were investigating a pair of bow-and-arrow attacks targeting cats in the city's Willow Glen neighborhood.
Both attacks occurred in the area of Alma Loop and Minnesota Avenue, according to police.
Investigators are concerned the attacks could escalate. They say many times people with violent tendencies start with attacks on animals.
One cat that was struck with an arrow was recovering Monday night after undergoing surgery last week.
"It is extremely alarming," said Capt. Jay Terrado of San Jose Animal Services. "When you have two incidents, for us, we are thinking it’s intentional and malicious."
The first of the two incidents reported involved a feral cat attacked in October. The second involved a pet cat in the same vicinity shot with an arrow on Nov. 21, Terrado said.
The cat's owner has put up signs warning residents to protect their pets.
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"I honestly hope they find who did this and arrest that person," resident Linda Ryan said. "Because this is cruel, and there is no purpose to this. It is completely senseless."
Both cats survived and are recovering. Police don’t have a suspect, and for many of the residents, there is concern.
"I don’t know if it's a hatred of cats or just a disregard for living creatures," resident Robert Ryan said. "But somebody who does something like that has really got to be sick."
San Jose police said the suspect could face felony charges and jail time.
