Have swapped S*^& reducing candle for the biggest F&^*%^ H*^% candle I can find!
Take all advice on board, act sensibly, but above all, keep yourself and your mom safe.
Wys - I'd argue about the cat. When a person has been through this sort of abuse, a pet is often the only creature that they feel safe with. If Ranger's mom is anything like me, she will have confided in that cat and relied on it for so much more than simple companionship. To see the animal in the hands of the abuser is like seeing your personal diary in the hands of the town gossip. It's not logical, the cat can't talk, but it really does feel like a betrayal of trust.
Experience counts for a lot, but unless you've been on all sides, you can't see the whole picture.