Is someone poisoning cats?
A CAT owner is heartbroken that three of his beloved pets may have been poisoned.
Chris Cooper’s cats Sebastian, Jasper and Flick all died in the past year, with fears that they may have been poisoned.
The RSPCA has launched an investigation into the suspected poisonings.
Eight-year-old male black and white cat Flick was the latest to have died, after he was found unwell in Mr Cooper’s neighbour’s back garden, in Mythe View, in Atherstone, earlier this month.
Mr Cooper said: “I’d been down in Cornwall on holiday and came back on the Thursday night and noticed Flick seemed a bit unsteady, so I thought I’d keep an eye on him.
“By Friday morning, though, my neighbour had found him laid out on their back lawn and so I took him straight to the vet. He started fitting while he was there. I had to decide to let him go for his own kindness.”
Mr Cooper’s other cat Jasper, a fiveyear-old tabby, also went missing while he was away. When he was contacted by RSPCA inspector Sally Kearns he discovered that Jasper had been taken to a vet by a concerned woman who thought he might have been hit by a car. Jasper was put to sleep but his cause of death remains a mystery.
Mr Cooper added: “The exact cause of Jasper’s death isn’t known at the moment, but I’m told the preliminary results of his post-mortem show lesions on his kidney, which could indicate poisoning.
“We’ve had Jasper since he was a kitten and we got him at the same time as another kitten, Sebastian, who we lost at a similar time last year.
“I keep expecting them to walk through the door. If I see a shadow move in the house, I think it is one of them. I don’t do loss very well and so to have two cats die in the same week has been heartbreaking.”
There have been reports of numerous other cat deaths in the local area during recent years, with suspicions that they too have been poisoned.
RSPCA inspector Sally Kearns is now appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
She said: “For someone to have lost two much-loved family pets within days of each other is incredibly sad, but also very concerning.
“I’m appealing to pet owners in the area to be vigilant. We ask people in the area to keep an eye on their cats’ wellbeing and if they are showing symptoms of poisoning, get them veterinary treatment immediately.
“At this stage we do not know if these were accidental incidents or deliberate, but in the meantime we would ask for everyone in the area to check where they keep their pesticides and chemicals, including antifreeze, and make sure it is secure and out of the way of cats. People should check their car radiators for leaks, too.”
Anyone who has information should contact the RSPCA on 0300 123 8018 and leave a message for Ms Kearns.