Is someone—or something—disappearing Astoria's stray cats? Shortly before Christmas, residents were panicked to discover the furry transients absent from their usual perches, and have since started a website (and accompanying Facebook page and Twitter feed) to document The Missing. Is there a Jack the Ripper in our midst? Did they sense the approaching polar vortex and pedal their Citi Bikes to warmer climates? Or were they simply feeling too cloistered from the world in which they belonged, with the comfortable homes and the square meals and the the goddamn 11 p.m. curfew impinging on their need for feline freedom?

Idle speculation won't bring them back—what we need now is a plan. Here's what we know so far.

The Astoria7 were 7 beloved alley cats, residing quietly & happily in Astoria, Queens, NY, until their suspicious disappearance just days before Christmas.

In the last three weeks, almost an entire colony (except one little girl) has vanished leaving neighbors heart-broken and outraged. There is no doubt that these cats met with foul play: they were all spayed and neutered, fed 2-3 meals a day, and had winter shelters in which they could escape the elements each night. This small colony was well cared for—even doted on—by local residents who came to know each and every one of them:

It's hard to know the wiles of the cat heart, but Mary Witty, who created the page, feels certain the animals were murdered. "In terms of whether they went off somewhere, I've been feeding them for years, so I know their habits really well," she said, citing the numerous daily meals courtesy of both herself and other neighbors, not to mention the toasty winter shelter situated in an isolated, peaceful alley. "I doubt very much they went off—there aren't many greener pastures than the pastures I've offered them."

While the disappearance of the Astoria7 remains a mystery, fingers are increasingly aimed at one neighbor, whose beef with the cats has persisted for years, given their predilection for using her yard as a toilet. The said neighbor has been confronted, though the defense has been the same: That no cats are present on the property. "There's probably truth in that, because they probably disposed of them," Witty said.

Witty said she'd like to believe the cats were trapped and released elsewhere, though she suspects that's not the case. Open cans of tuna fish topped with anti-freeze have been found deposited around the neighborhood before, indicating that whatever party wants the cats gone is willing to take whatever grim measure necessary to achieve his or her maleficent goal.

"If they're willing to kill the cats with poison, I can't imagine they would have a trap that would be humane," Witty said. "I don't see that in their character."

It might be too late for the Astoria7, but Witty hopes community action can preempt similar cat tragedies. Activists plan to highlight the issue at the January 21 meeting of Community Board 1, at which Witty said she plans to push for a mailer reminding residents that such cruelty is a felony, punishable by a fine of up to $5,000 or two years in jail. Furthermore, since the NYPD grudgingly assumed responsibility for animal complaints on January 1, Witty said she'd also like to see the establishment of an animal cruelty task force. The ASPCA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In the meantime, get to know the victims here, and hope the winds of fate someday blow them homeward.