AURORA, Colo. -- All 45 cat mutilations in the Denver metro area during the past year were apparently the result of predators, not humans, officials said Friday.

Aurora police Chief Ricky Bennett said necropsies performed on a sample of 10 mutilated cats showed that, without a doubt, other animals, such as foxes, killed the felines.

Police said previously that humans were apparently involved in some of the cases, but that they would have to consult with wildlife experts.

Those experts said that what appeared to be surgically precise incisions were actually tears in the skin when viewed under a microscope.

Utah authorities were the first to make the wild animal connection earlier this week and contacted Colorado investigators with their findings.

There have been nearly 50 incidents in the metro area in the past year, beginning November 2002. The reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of a Colorado suspect was at $14,500.

At one point, the fear that a person or people were responsible was so intense that authorities even stopped giving out information about the cases saying it might spur more mutilations.

The Colorado task force was assembled to look at the killings plans to compile information from its investigation, in hopes of aiding other states that experience a rash of pet deaths.

Additional Resource:

Where To Report Animal Cruelty