Hot weather is being blamed for a sudden spate of snake attacks in Queensland, including the death of a pet cat.

A Sunshine Coast family’s pet cat met a grisly end yesterday, devoured by a carpet python.

A man and a young boy were also bitten in separate incidents in western Brisbane.

Snake catcher Tony Harrison says it’s not uncommon for pets to be the victims of a carpet python.

“They do eat anything with fur or feathers, and can eat three times their girth,” he tells Luke Grant.

“Before us humans came along, they would live in hollow logs and trees, but we built the ultimate house for the snake, and that’s our house, with the tiled roofs.

“They get in there, and it’s nice and warm – it’s like a sauna.”

He says there are a surprising number of benefits to having carpet pythons around, as they eat rodents and keep other more dangerous snakes away, but concerned pet owners should keep a careful eye on wandering or outdoor animals.

Click PLAY below to hear the full interview

Image: Getty/Auscape