Small town sees nine cats killed with antifreeze in just two weeks

Nine cats in one small town have died after being poisoned with antifreeze in just two weeks.

Police are investigating whether the killings could be deliberate after two vomited up ‘poisoned tuna’.

Devastated pet owners say their cats were left ‘screaming in pain’ after losing their ability to walk.

Four cats in Kingswood, near Bristol, have passed away from ingesting the toxic substance in the past week.

Arron Johnson and his wife said two of their cats, Buzz and Jessie, died from poisoning.

‘I’d like to think someone wouldn’t be this cruel but when they were being sick they were bringing up what looked like tuna and we don’t feed them that,’ Arron said.

Vets confirmed both of their cats died after consuming antifreeze.

He said: ‘Either someone is playing a horrible game or they’ve left it out somewhere.

‘But, it has been awful, we had to watch Buzz on Saturday die in agony.

‘He was screaming in pain, couldn’t walk properly and had lost the use of his back legs.

‘His eyelid had closed – the vet said he was going blind – and he had a swollen face.

‘He was also being sick and drinking loads of water and like I said crying a lot,’ he added.

Kathryn Sanders, who has also lost two of her cats Sasha and Scar within two days this week, had also noticed chicken in the sick, which she said they did not feed their cats.

Kathryn said: ‘They lost the feeling in their back legs and were having fits, we took them to the emergency vets but it was too late, they had to be put down.

‘The vet said there was no doubt about it, it was antifreeze and that we should keep our other cats inside for the time being.

‘It has been devastating to go through, it really has,’ she added.

At the moment, no one knows if the animals are being purposefully targeted or if the cause is accidental but the numbers of deaths so far means many in the area are keeping their cats indoors.

Residents who have affected now want to warn other people in the area to be careful and to keep their animals inside the house at the moment.

The police have been informed by residents about the poisonings, however anyone who suspects animal cruelty should contact the RSPCA hot line on 0300 1234 999.

A RSPCA spokesperson said: ‘Deliberately poisoning a protected animal is an offence and carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and/ or an unlimited fine.

‘Signs that your animal could have been poisoned vary and can include any of the following: depression, lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, breathing difficulties and bad breath, twitching or seizures. Different substances can affect animals in different ways. Some symptoms can take days to appear.

‘If you think that your pet may have been poisoned please contact your vet as soon as possible.

‘They will ask for details of when you suspect the poisoning occurred and symptoms. You may be asked to bring in your pet as soon as possible.

‘People should be careful when using substances to ensure that other animals are not affected (slug pellets and antifreeze in particular) and that substances are carefully disposed of, rather than dumped on a roadside or in a park.’

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