The Mid-Levels dog poisoner is believed to have claimed its first cat victim, raising fears that other pets and wildlife may be at risk. A ginger and white cat was found on Thursday on a concreted hillside off Stubbs Road at the end of Bowen Road, the regular haunt of the poisoner who has evaded capture for more than 18 years. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) said police found the body close to where a jogger had reported seeing suspicious pieces of meat the same day. The street cat belonged to one of the SPCA's colonies. It was recognisable by a clip on the ear that is given to cats that were caught, desexed and released under the care of a volunteer as part of the programme to control the population of wild cats. SPCA executive director Sandy Macalister said the society had long suspected that animals other than dogs were killed by the poisoner. 'It is a dreadful thing,' Mr Macalister said. 'It is so cruel and indiscriminate and goes to show we can assume that other animals like cats have died but have never been found.' The SPCA yesterday organised a sweep of the hillside to check for more poisonous bait and to warn dog walkers to be extra vigilant. Police said there had been some 72 cases of dog poisoning in the area between 1995 and the end of October 2007, and three on Hong Kong Island in the first 10 months of last year. But the SPCA believed about 200 dogs were killed at the hands of the Mid-Levels poisoner over the last 18 years. One victim was former governor Chris Patten's dog Whisky, which survived after eating poisoned chicken four months before the 1997 handover. All the cases have been along Bowen Road and the Black's Link area, and involve dogs consuming meat laced with pesticide that causes a painful death. One theory is that the poisoner has an obsessive dislike of dogs that foul footpaths and may have begun the campaign as a means of revenge. But Mr Macalister said the latest case showed whoever was responsible had no regard for any animal life. 'The days when people had justification for despising animals because of pet owners' irresponsible behaviour are long gone,' he said. 'Pet owners are becoming very good. The sinister thing about this case is that the poison was laid strategically off the path ... so it doesn't appear to be targeted at a dog, but something else, and we can presume that is cats. But it is destructive to all wildlife.' He said the poisoner used a very toxic pesticide. 'We had a dog brought in which we presume had just licked the area where the poison had been laid. The dog didn't die but it was very sick.' A reward of HK$160,000, donated by anonymous pet owners to the SPCA, is still on offer for anyone who can help find the culprit. SPCA chief superintendent Tony Ho Tse-tong said the latest case showed the poisoner had become more cautious and was putting bait in places that were less likely to be discovered. 'We searched very thoroughly in the areas we could reach but didn't find anything,' he said. A police spokesman said: 'We attach much importance to tackling dog poisoning cases. Apart from stepping up patrols at black spots, we have also taken various steps to draw the public's attention to the matter.'