GREENE — A Greene man was charged with felony cruelty to animals on Saturday after police say he shot a cat five times in the woods near his home.

Early reports were that the cat had belonged to Wendell Strout, the Lewiston animal control officer who died in late November.

However, Strout’s daughter later said that the cat had only been microchipped in Strout’s name. He never formally adopted the animal, she said.

Jake Cyr, 34, was arrested at his home on Penney Lane after Animal Control Officer Rich Burton found the animal in the woods with five gunshot wounds.

Burton said he had been sent to the area for a report of an injured cat. When he began questioning neighbors, he was told that Cyr had the cat and planned to shoot it.

Burton said that while he was investigating the matter, he heard five gunshots nearby. Cyr appeared shortly after but denied having anything to do with the cat, Burton said.

When the confrontation between Burton and Cyr seemed to be escalating, Burton retreated to the road and called for assistance from the Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Department.

Later, when Cyr led Burton and the sheriff’s deputies into the woods, they found the cat. It had been shot in the lower front quarters, ear and spine, Burton said. It did not appear that the cat had died right away.

Cyr was arrested and charged with felony cruelty to animals, although the charge was downgraded to a misdemeanor once he arrived at the Androscoggin County Jail in Auburn.

Cyr was later released on $100 bail.

Cyr and several others disputed Burton’s account, saying the cat had been struck by a car and was in pain.

“I mean this cat was just laying in the snow, shivering, suffering,” Cyr said. “The cat was mangled.”

He shot the cat, Cyr said, only to put the animal out of its misery.

“I would never maliciously cause harm to an animal ever,” Cyr said, adding that he has cats, dogs and other animals of his own.

Another man, a neighbor of Cyr, said that Cyr had been in contact with neighbors throughout the ordeal and that his only thought was to end the cat’s suffering.

Two of Cyr’s family members also claimed that the cat was shot only to end its suffering.

While following up his investigation later Saturday, Burton said he learned that the cat had belonged to Strout, who lived a short distance away.

However, Strout’s daughter, Delanie, said on Sunday that the confusion stemmed from the fact that feral cats taken to a shelter by Strout would often receive microchips bearing his name.

That cat that was killed on Saturday, she said, did not belong to Strout.

Strout, a popular animal control officer in Lewiston for more than 25 years, died suddenly on Nov. 24.

The matter remained under investigation.