Miami University student accused of injuring, burning roommate's cat

OXFORD, Ohio (WKRC) – He was supposed to be caring for his roommate's cat, but when the roommate came home, he found his pet badly burned.

20-year-old Hancheng "Tony" Dai is charged with abusing his roommate's cat. The cat has severe burns and a broken leg.

Lt. Lara Fening with Oxford Police Department said, “There was a lot of damage to that cat. Although, they say it's in much better spirits than when it came into the vet when it seemed very sick, but it seemed in really good spirits today although it looked horrible."

The owner left their home in Oxford for six weeks. Investigators say when the Miami University student got back to his apartment, he found his cat, Clover, missing fur, and badly burned. Dai claimed he washed Clover in hot water and used a hair dryer on the cat, but that he did not think the heat or water were enough to have caused the injuries. Police say the veterinarian believes the cat’s burns are thermal or chemical.

Dai told an officer clover jumped off the refrigerator and that's how she broke her leg. Although the cat is in good spirits, police say it was hard to see.

Lt. Fening saw the cat Tuesday afternoon. “It was wanting me to pet it, rubbing its face against my fingers, but I was afraid to pet it because there were not many places I could pet it,” Fening said.

Clover is at the Oxford Veterinary Hospital and police tell us the cat will have surgery for its injuries tomorrow. Police charged Dai with "injuring animals". That's a misdemeanor. The prosecutor could charge him with a crime that carries a stiffer penalty.