John Beale, Post-Gazette Kris True, a kennel technician at the Westmoreland Humane Society, holds a cat that had to have its tail surgically removed after the tail was skinned. Click photo for larger image. Information sought    An investigation into the injured cats is being conducted by Jan Dillon, humane officer for the Humane Society of Westmoreland County. Anyone with information is being asked to call 724-837-3779.    "We aren't offering a reward. We really don't have the money for that," Humane Society executive director Kathy Burkley said. "We'd rather spend money caring for the cat" and the 100 other cats and kittens currently housed in the no-kill shelter.

One cat had the fur and skin cut away from her tailbone. A second cat had her tail cut off, a broken tooth and burns on one ear and one leg. Both are recovering while volunteers went door to door yesterday in Westmoreland County, distributing flyers asking the public to provide information that could lead to the arrest of the persons responsible.

Both cats were found on Tuesday not far from the Humane Society of Westmoreland County, located on Route 119 North, Hempfield. But they weren't found together. They were picked up, by separate individuals, in locations about a mile apart from each other.

One cat was taken to the Humane Society. A juvenile found the other cat, and her family took it to a private veterinary clinic.

Both cats are grey females about two years old.

"They look so much alike they could be litter mates," said Dr. John O'Laughlin of the Grace Veterinary Clinic in Mount Pleasant.

Clinic workers call the cat Sassy.

"I had to amputate one of her ears because the top third of the ear had third degree burns," Dr. O'Laughlin said. "She had second degree burns on the left forearm. Her tail was chopped off two inches from the base of the spine. One of her canine teeth was broken" apparently from a sharp blow to her face.

Her surgery was Tuesday and the family who found her took her home yesterday afternoon.

The other cat, named Emma by the Humane Society staff, needed three hours of surgery, performed by staff veterinarian Lisa DeFelise.

Cut marks at the base of the tail indicate that someone cut away the hair and fur.

"There was just a bony tail," said Humane Society executive director Kathy Burkley. "There was no blood. There were maggots in the wound. Judging by the age of the maggots, we think the cat was injured on Friday. We're surprised she survived."

The cat was dehydrated and unable to walk when she was brought to the Humane Society, Ms. Burkley said.

"The toenails on all four paws were worn down. We think that happened as she struggled to get away" from whoever injured her, Ms. Burkley said. "We think it took more than one person to do that."

Ms. Burkley said she doesn't know whether the cat was a house pet or a former pet that had been turned out to fend for herself, "which is a terrible problem in Westmoreland County. She was a pet at one point, though, because she had been spayed."

Animal abuse is a year-round problem, but cases seem to increase in frequency and severity around Halloween, Dr. O'Laughlin and Ms. Burkley said.