Reports of stolen cats in Pāpāmoa are unfounded, police say.

Police said they had received reports that a large number of cats were being held at an address.

“We have worked with SPCA who has attended the address and it appears none of the cats were stolen, we cannot substantiate social media claims regarding theft of cats,” Pāpāmoa community constable Adrian Oldham said.

”We appreciate the intentions behind the post on Facebook, however in future, emails about lost pets should be referred to local animal rescue organisations.

“Please refer any further questions to SPCA,” Oldham said.

If people are concerned about lost pets, they should use social media pages, local FB community pages, speak to their neighbours, and register their pets on lostpet.co.nz