The RSPCA is appealing for information and for people to be careful after the deaths of five cats on one road in a Somerset village from suspected antifreeze poisoning.
A local vet surgery took in three of the cats from Orchard Way, Woolavington, between 4 and 11 November and knew of two others from the same area that had also died.
The first cat was found on 4 November in Orchard Way – Sabrina, a female black cat had collapsed and later died at the vets. The second cat, Bluebell, a black and white female cat was found on 10 November and Marmalade, a ginger and white male, had to be put to sleep by vets on 11 November.
Blood tests on the three cats pointed to antifreeze as the likely cause of the poisoning.
RSPCA animal welfare officer Alison Sparkes said: “These cats suffered unnecessarily – poisoning causes a lot of pain and distress and is often fatal. It may be that they ingested the antifreeze accidentally in which case we would urge people to be careful when using the chemical – to clear up any spills and to store and discard it safely.
“There is also the worrying possibility that someone did this deliberately so if anyone has seen anything suspicious please contact us on 0300 123 8018.”
While we do not know if these incidents are deliberate or accidental we do want to remind people that deliberately poisoning an animal could mean a £20,000 fine and/or six months in prison under the Animal Welfare Act.
If you are concerned 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 about the symptoms.
You may be asked to bring in your pet as soon as possible.
Signs that your animal could have been poisoned vary and can include any of the following:
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depression
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lack of appetite
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vomiting
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diarrhoea
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breathing difficulties and bad breath
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twitching or
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seizures.
People should be careful when putting down any substances which are potentially poisonous to ensure that other animals are not affected (e.g. slug pellets) and that substances are stored appropriately and properly disposed of, rather than dumping them on a roadside or in a park.
For information on how to detect poisoning log onto www.rspca.org.uk/poisoning