Four teenagers from the Edmonton area have been charged with breaking into a house and killing a cat in a microwave.

Police in Camrose, southeast of Edmonton, say a home was broken into twice while the owners were away for the holidays last month.

During the second break-in, a cat from the home was put into the microwave and then cooked to death, Insp. Lee Foreman said.

Four teens between the ages of 13 and 15 have been charged with several offences including breaking and entering, theft and unlawfully killing an animal. They are scheduled to appear in a Camrose court on Feb. 7.

None of the teens live at the home and none are related to the owners, Foreman said.

"I've been policing for over 25 years and I've never encountered anything quite like this," he said. "It's very disturbing. It's especially sad given the season."

A family friend who was looking after the house while the owners were gone found the dead cat in the microwave.