Edmond Man Charged For Killing Roommate's Cat

An Edmond man was charged with one felony count of Animal Cruelty for the death of his roommate's cat in late December.

Oklahoma County Sheriff's Deputies arrested 19-year-old Timothy Morris for the crime.

Authorities began investigating after the cat's owner said she, her boyfriend and Morris shared an apartment together. On Dec. 29 she told investigators she left the apartment at 10 a.m. and the cat, “Oliver”, was fine. But when she returned around 2:30 p.m. she found Oliver lying unresponsive on a pillow.

The woman rushed Oliver to the veterinary emergency room where he was declared dead. At this point the woman contacted Edmond Animal Services and said that she believed her roommate killed her pet.

Investigators with animal services then interviewed Morris and he said that Oliver had woke him up that day with his meowing. Morris said he decided to give him catnip, but admitted to pouring the catnip directly into the cat's mouth. He said Oliver started choking o he tried to give him CPR.

On Dec. 30 an autopsy was done on Oliver and it revealed that the cat died from internal bleeding caused by severe blunt force trauma.

Morris was interviewed again, but this time investigators told him what they had found out from the autopsy. According to court paper, Morris told investigators that when he forced the catnip into Oliver's mouth, he clawed him on the hand and held on. Morris said he then grabbed Oliver by the neck and choked him until he let go.

Morris said when he let go of the cat's neck it “wasn't breathing right.” He said he got scared and tried to do CPR, first by breathing into Oliver's mouth and then breathing into his nose.

When pressed on the fact that the cat had major blunt force injuries, Morris went on to say that he tried doing chest compressions on Oliver along with the CPR. According to investigators, Morris said while he was doing the chest compressions he “got frustrated” and used a closed fist to pound on the cat's sternum.

After all of this Morris told investigators that the cat was unresponsive and motionless so he placed him on the pillow where his roommate found him.

Morris was then arrested and transported to the Oklahoma County Jail on one count of Cruelty to Animals.