An Australian snake catcher has urged residents to watch over their pets after releasing somber footage of a large python that killed a family's cat.

Stuart McKenzie, the owner of relocation service Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7, said on his popular Facebook page on Sunday that it was a "sad" situation but stressed the roughly 5-foot-long reptile was behaving the only "natural" way that it knows.

Carpet pythons, which grow to more than 13-foot in length, are non-venomous snakes that kill their prey by wrapping around its body and causing suffocation. They often hunt rats and possums but will sometimes target cats and dogs, McKenzie said.

"It sucks when this sort of thing happens, unfortunately a little [cat] is the same size as a possum or a big bird and that's what carpet pythons especially are going after," the wrangler can be heard saying in the Facebook video. "You can't hate the python for this, he's just doing the natural thing, but it just sucks when it's someone's family pet."

In the clip, which was released with permission from the cat's owner, the python can be seen moving slowly while loosely coiled around the already-deceased pet.

McKenzie explained the reptile was trying to line the cat up to swallow it. A broom can also be seen, which McKenzie said the owners had used to try and free the pet from the decking under the home—a rescue attempt that ultimately proved unsuccessful.

"I am going to separate them because it's a very sad situation—it's someone's pet and they obviously want to be able to bury it," the catcher says in the cell phone video.

He added: "The cat was not really one to venture out too much, he sort of hanged down here on the deck but came under the house and obviously got unlucky that there was a carpet python, probably waiting for maybe some rodents or something to go by.

"It's just a warning to pet owners this sort of thing can happen, it doesn't happen that often with cats and dogs—but it can happen. So please keep an eye on your pets."

Warning: The video contains content that some viewers may find distressing.

The incident took place at a home in Buderim, Queensland.

According to a species profile on the Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7 website, the pythons grow to be the largest snakes in the region, where they are active day and night and hold the title of being "by far" the most commonly encountered species.

"They basically occupy all habitats and will be found in all suburbs within the area. They are often found within close proximity to homes and are often not too bothered by human presence compared to other shy snake species," the profile reads.

It adds: "Large specimens can take small suburban pets such as dogs, cats, chickens and guinea pigs with smaller specimens taking caged birds. Their diet consists of mainly mammals such as rodents, possums etc; also some reptiles, birds and frogs."

Ultimately, McKenzie said residents should be "wary" about letting cats roam outside as they are "more than likely killing lots of native wildlife" and are at increased risk of being hit by a car or killed by another animal. His post attracted more than 150 comments.

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