Conservatives are once again attempting to blame immigrants after stumbling across a weeks-old story regarding missing cats in Maine.
The issue began gaining attention online this week after far-right accounts on X shared a local news report about cats disappearing in the city of Bangor.
“16 pet cats have suddenly disappeared in Bangor, Maine,” the user End Wokeness wrote. “No remains were found. Experts don’t believe an animal did this. Bangor just had an influx of Haitians.”
The allegations are identical to those made about Springfield, Ohio, where conservatives have likewise blamed Haitian immigrants for missing cats. The issue became a national story after being promoted by former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio), who both claimed that migrants were eating pets.
In that case, every single police report, allegation, and story highlighted by conservatives was either unproven, misattributed, or outright debunked. Nevertheless, Trump supporters are yet again making the same accusations about Bangor.
Local reporting indicates that roughly 20 cats have gone missing over the past two months from a specific neighborhood.
Wildlife experts have said that the issue could be linked to a combination of everything from predators animals to people, but stressed that it had no data confirming either were to blame.
Last week, however, a bobcat was located in the area after being struck by a vehicle. Trisha Bruen, Bangor’s animal control officer, told the Bangor Daily News that the bobcat could have been responsible for at least some of the missing cats but suggested it was unlikely accountable for all 20.
“I still believe multiple species of wildlife, and possibly even some humans, are responsible for the missing cats,” Bruen said. “The only way to ensure our cats don’t fall victim to wildlife attacks, thefts, and vehicle strikes is to keep them inside.”
On the other hand, Inland Fish and Wildlife officials told WABI5 they did not believe predatory animals were to blame given that the issue is a “recent phenomenon.”
At least one of the missing cats has since returned home. But neighbors, who have also speculated that owls, coyotes, or even an individual person could be to blame, are still looking for answers regarding the rest.
With the issue gaining attention online, Maine residents are now pushing back on the unfounded claims. In a since deleted post to the r/Maine subreddit, one redditor described conservatives’ framing of the issue as “complete and total bullshit.”
“As someone living in the Bangor area, I haven’t seen a bunch of Haitians running around,” one user wrote. “They did just find a bobcat in that area that had been hit by a car and killed. It’s quite possible that was the problem. Or you’ve got a sick individual who is getting off on killing cats.”
But as it stands, no evidence whatsoever has ever been presented that immigrants, Haitians or otherwise, are to blame.
With the discovery of the bobcat, though, residents are now waiting to see if cats stop disappearing. And although the affected neighborhood is patiently waiting for the facts to come in, conservatives already appear unwilling to change their narrative.
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