The cat was shaking uncontrollably. Cops say it was because owner’s boyfriend kicked it
A Florida Keys man is in Monroe County jail after deputies say he kicked his girlfriend’s cat to the point where the animal shook uncontrollably when they arrived and stared at their feet, fearing another beating.
Deputies arrested Sheldon Moulton, 30, on one misdemeanor animal cruelty count, misdemeanor marijuana and drug equipment possession and felony evidence tampering. As of late Tuesday morning, he was still in jail with no bond information available.
The 35-year-old girlfriend’s mother called police shortly after 3 a.m. after receiving a call from her daughter that Moulton kicked the male cat twice after he arrived at their Marathon home from New York and found the animal on the couch. According to Deputy Corbin Hradecky’s report, the mother was concerned for her daughter’s safety.
The girlfriend, who the Miami Herald/FLKeysnews.com is not naming because she is a potential victim of domestic abuse, pointed Hradecky and another deputy to the cat, who was hiding behind curtains near a sliding glass door.
The cat was shaking and refused to come out from his hiding space. Hradecky also said the cat would not stop looking at his shoes and “followed my feet with his eyes as I walked towards him.”
“As I got close to Moewy, he cowered and tucked himself as close to the sliding glass door as possible,” Hradecky wrote.
Moewy’s owner told deputies the cat is normally not timid, according to the report.
Moulton was inside his bedroom when police arrived. Hradecky said every time he opened the door, he could smell a strong marijuana odor.
Moulton told deputies he kicked at the cat to get him off the couch, but said he did not strike him. However, Hradecky stated in his report that not only was the cat acting frightened, his nose area was swollen and red.
As Hradecky walked toward the bedroom, Moulton tried to close the door. Hradecky forced it open and saw Moulton quickly walk toward the nightstand beside the bed where he threw a bandanna over some items.
He also had a clear plastic sandwich bag clenched in his hand containing marijuana, according to the arrest report. Moulton tried to pull his hand away from Hradecky, but the deputy grabbed the baggie. Moulton then went to another area of the bedroom to try hiding another bag of pot, Hradecky wrote in his report.
Deputies found a total of 5.4 grams of marijuana, according to the report.
This story was originally published January 28, 2020 at 12:47 PM.
