Story By: Angjela Trajkovska, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: CEN

A photo of a poor stray cat spray-painted purple by a heartless thug has sparked outrage after it was posted on social media.

The cute moggy was spotted in the western Bulgarian capital Sofia and was taken to a nearby veterinary clinic for a check up by a kind resident identified as Cvetelina, according to local media.

A photo of the painted cat was posted on social media where netizens gave confused accounts as to who the culprits were, with some people saying it was sprayed by naughty children while others said it was an adult.

Pictures Credit: CEN

Meanwhile, some people commenting on the Facebook post believed that the cat somehow fell into something which coloured it purple.

According to reports, it is not the first time that animals have been painted in Bulgaria.

In 2014, a green-coloured cat was spotted in the city of Varna, causing a media storm. However, it was discovered that the feline had fallen asleep on a painted area inside a garage.

Last year, a dog was also found that had been coloured red.

Netizen ‘Radostina Barutchiiska’ commented: “Cute cat, how can someone do that to it? It is such an idiotic thing to do!”

‘Petya Diceva’ said: “I’m glad someone took it to the vets.”

‘Spas Petrov’ wrote: “The culprits should suffer a slow and painful death.”