Supermarkets pull popular product after cats poisoned

A POPULAR flea product is being pulled from supermarket shelves after a spate of cat poisonings throughout the nation.

Exelpet Fleaban insecticide will be removed from sale in coming weeks after dozens of pet owners claim the product left their cats frothing at the mouth and suffering tremors shortly after applying the spray. Some even claim the product killed their moggies.

Just minutes after Jennie Murray sprayed her two cats with Exelpet Fleaban last weekend, they started frothing at the mouth and shaking.

“I took the cats to the vet and he sedated them and bathed them and said this chemical caused so many problems and cats have even died from it,” Ms Murray, from Brisbane said. Exelpet Fleaban contains pyrethrin, a natural insecticide from Chyrsanthemum cinerariaefolium or the Dalmatian Daisy, which is a known toxin to cats.

“The vet told me this ingredient can cause brain damage, seizures and death. I am so angry this product is legal and on the shelves at Coles and Woolworths,” Ms Murray posted on social media, which went viral with numerous pet owners claiming a similar experience.

Last month, 21-year-old Coralie Morgan from Dapto sprayed Exelpet Insecticide on her moggy and she became ill as well. The product clearly stated it was for use on cats and dogs. “It smelt really toxic and then I googled it and saw that cats had died so I put her in the bath and dried her off but by the morning she was frothing at the mouth. I took her to the vet and she said it was poisoning from the product. They had to put her to sleep and flush her kidneys out twice.”

Ms Morgan is now $500 out of pocket and currently nego- tiating with Exelpet to get compensation.

Taylor Hyslop from Melbourne also complained to the company after his cat Zakky nearly died.

“It should be removed from shelves,” he said.

The Product Review website also has four dozen complaints from cat owners alleging their cats were affected, with several claiming their cats died post exposure.