Mansfield pet owner left devastated after her beloved cats are "poisoned"
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Helen Hall from Edwinstowe has been left devastated after one of her cats passed away earlier this month and another, from the same litter, was left with serious kidney damage.
After witnessing her 5-year-old cat Belle have multiple seizures before passing away and her second cat, Tinkerbel, needing substantial vet treatment, Helen is now appealing to people to be careful when using antifreeze over winter.
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Hide AdHelen posted on local facebook sites for information and the response was overwhelming, with several other people reporting they had lost cats recently in the same way.
Helen explains: “My children and I are absolutely heartbroken and now have a huge vet bill and cremation cost on top of the loss of a beloved pet.
"I am trying to raise awareness to prevent further cats and owners suffering.
"I would like to ask people to be extra careful when using antifreeze and also to contact the police on 101 if they have any information on these dreadful cat poisonings in Edwinstowe.
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Hide Ad"There are many kinder and humane ways of deterring cats from your garden if you are not a cat lover.
"This is just cruel and absolutely unnecessary.”
Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which has a sweet taste, meaning animals and even children can be drawn to it.
An RSPCA spokesperson said: “We would ask everyone in the area to check where they keep their pesticides and chemicals and make sure they are secure and out of the way.
“Making sure antifreeze lids are shut tightly or cleaning up any spillages may save an animal’s life.
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Hide Ad“Pet-owners are asked to be vigilant and keep an eye on their cats’ wellbeing - if they are showing symptoms of poisoning, take them for veterinary treatment immediately.
“Signs of poisoning can be seen anything from 30 minutes after ingestion to two or three days.
"This can include some, or all of the following symptoms: vomiting, seeming depressed or sleepy, appearing drunk or uncoordinated, seizures and difficulty breathing.
"Deliberately poisoning a protected animal like a cat or a dog is an offence and carries a maximum sentence of six months in prison and/or an unlimited fine.”