Va. Beach Man to Serve 2 Months In Jail for Strangling Cat

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) -- A Virginia Beach man has been sentenced for his role in the death of a cat that was strangled in Virginia Beach.

Media outlets report 26-year-old Justin Page will serve two months in jail after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges of allowing another to torture an animal and improperly disposing of a companion animal. He was originally charged with felony animal cruelty and conspiracy.

Page and 23-year-old Cody Craig Gerarden were arrested last year after authorities say Gerarden strangled Page's adopted cat.

Gerarden told investigators that he and Page decided to kill the animal because it had bitten Page several times and had repeatedly scratched Page's daughter.

Gerarden pleaded no contest to felony animal cruelty in March and was sentenced to 1 1/2 in jail.