A 75-year-old man is in police custody for allegedly killing three cats and tossing them in a dumpster in the city's southeast.

Calgary police and humane society investigators are looking into the allegations and say two kittens were found dead in a dumpster in the 2800 block of 14 Avenue S.E. at about 9:45 a.m. Monday.

A utility worker intervened and tried to rescue a third cat but it escaped and has not been seen since.

Officials say the young, black cat is in extreme medical distress and is likely still in the Radisson Heights - Albert Park area.

“The cats did not belong to this person so they were somebody else’s cats,” said CGIS Staff Sgt. Travis Baker.

Baker says they have not located the owner of the cats but hope a necropsy may help determine who they belong to.

“Hopefully the homeowner has either had them tattooed or had a chip put into the cat and we’ll be able to locate the owner that way,” he said.

The accused is currently being interviewed by police and his name is being withheld until charges are laid.

Police also found 15 rabbits living in poor conditions in the backyard and seized all but one.

“My understanding is that this gentleman was raising the rabbits to eat and the rabbits were running rampant around the yard and he had put out traps to try and catch some of his own rabbits and that was kind of how the cats got involved so my guess is the cats came in to chase after the rabbits,” said Baker.

Traps have been set up to hopefully capture the remaining rabbit.

Anyone who lives in the area where the incident occurred is asked to check their properties for the distressed animal and to take it to the nearest veterinarian or call police if it is found.