Man shot pet cat 'to show woman what he was capable of'

'Oh, yeah. I took good care of her, really good care of her,' accused man tells police

Peter Stern has been charged with mistreatment of an animal and disorderly conduct after telling officers he used a revolver to kill the family cat.

A woman in Wisconsin reportedly told police her boyfriend shot and killed their pet cat to “show her what’s he’s capable of.”

Peter K Stern was arrested on charges of mistreatment of an animal and disorderly conduct after telling officers he used a revolver to kill the family cat.

The woman, who was not identified in local news reports covering the incident, said Mr Stern buried the cat in their backyard after initially discarding the body in a dumpster near his work.

She reportedly told police he killed the cat in an effort to threaten and cause her trauma.

Mr Stern appeared to refute those allegations, telling police he “put her down” and adding his girlfriend was reportedly allergic to cats.

It was not immediately clear why Mr Stern decided he needed to put the cat down, although he is reported to have complained about it running through his legs and causing him to trip while walking on the stairs.

He reportedly told officers the cat was healthy before its death.

“Oh yeah. I took good care of her, really good care of her,” Mr Stern told officers, according to the criminal complaint.

Mr Stern’s girlfriend reportedly told police he only moved the cat’s body from the dumpster to their backyard after she requested the move.

Mr Stern pleaded not guilty on Thursday at the Dane County Court and was released after signing a $500 (£392) signature bond. His next hearing was scheduled for July.