An Italian photographer has hired a pet detective and offered a €5,000 reward to track down her missing Persian cat, but an animal rights group has suggested the cat may have been the victim of a sinister satanic sacrifice.
Celebrity fashion snapper Nima Benati, now a model and influencer herself, has photographed the front pages of Vogue and Vanity Fair and was even featured in Forbes 30 under 30 Italia 2019.
And often glued to Nima’s side is her most prized photo accessory, her white fluffy Persian cat named Bartolo – who has been featured in many of her campaigns.
But Nima’s beloved pet, who is said to be ‘like a son’ to her, has tragically become one of 30 cats reported missing in Italy’s Apennines in the past month.
Animal detective Said Beid, who was hired to track down Bartolo, said there are many reasons for the cats’ disappearance, including getting lost while trying to find family, being eaten by wild animals or being stolen by thieves who want to breed them for profit .
However, an animal rights group believes the missing cats may have been kidnapped and sacrificed by a satanic cult.
An Italian photographer has hired a pet detective and offered a €5,000 reward to track down her missing Persian cat (pictured together)
Famous fashion snapper Nima Benati (pictured with cat Bartolo) has photographed the front covers of Vogue and Vanity Fair and was even featured in Forbes 30 under 30 Italia 2019
Often glued to Nima’s side is her most prized photo accessory, her white fluffy Persian cat named Bartolo – who has been featured in many of her campaigns
Five-year-old Bartolo went missing on August 9 after being left with Nima’s family in Monghidoro, a town near Bologna, while the influencer went on holiday to Costa Rica.
Nima’s sister Shasa told the story The times that Bartolo always did well when he was left with the family in Bologna and that he had ‘free rein in the mountains’ when he was left at that house.
She said he often disappeared for two days and returned “soaked after a storm with a mouse in his mouth.”
But this time Bartolo did not return and has still not been found – despite hundreds of reported sightings.
Nima got Bartolo from a breeder in Naples. She never chipped him.
Mr Beid said cats often go missing in the summer when their families leave them to go on holiday or leave them with family or friends in a new environment.
Nima’s beloved pet, who was said to be ‘like a son’ to her, tragically became one of 30 cats reported missing in the Apennines last month
Five-year-old Bartolo went missing on August 9 after being left with Nima’s family in Monghidoro, a town near Bologna, while the influencer went on holiday to Costa Rica
Nima’s sister Shasa told The Times that Bartolo always fared well when he was left with the family in Bologna (pictured is an earlier time Bartolo went to stay) and that he had “free rein in the mountains” when he arrived at that house was left behind.
‘Some are stolen by cat thieves who breed them for profit; others are eaten by wild animals after they venture outside in search of their owners and get lost,” he said.
He went on to say that owners of missing cats hope they have just gotten lost, because “domestic cats can be found weeks after living in the wild.”
The Italian Association for the Protection of Animals and the Environment, which has reported reports of satanic cults sacrificing black cats on Halloween, said no cat carcasses have been found in the area.
The association claims this could indicate that the missing cats in Bologna are instead being sacrificed by a satanic cult.
Nima’s sister said Bartolo (pictured with Nima) often disappeared for two days and “came back soaked after a storm with a mouse in his mouth”
Nima got Bartolo from a breeder in Naples. She never chipped him
“The problem is urgent and alarming, and cat owners are starting to get scared,” it said.
Shasa described Bartolo as a son to her sister. “She sleeps on her pillow and on the couch,” she said.
“She is her shadow.”
She remains hopeful that her sister Nima’s lover Bartolo is still alive, adding that the thought of someone harming him “makes me cry.”
Other owners of missing cats in the area have reported discovering their pets’ loose collars. Local police are reportedly investigating.