A REDDITCH woman is urging pet owners to be on their guard after her two cats died last week from suspected antifreeze poisoning.
Abigail Osbourne, of Winyates Green, saw two-year-old Bobby and kitten Rumpelstiltskin die within four days of each other.
She said: “We are absolutely heartbroken. I want to warn people to be wary because I do not want anyone else to have to go through what we have.
“The house feels so empty without them both.”
After speaking to neighbours Abigail discovered a lot of people in the area put antifreeze in their water features and believed this could be the cause behind her pets’ deaths.
She added she wanted to highlight the habit and urge neighbours, for the sake of animals, to stop doing it.
Abigail found her oldest cat collapsed on the grass in her garden and her vet said antifreeze was sthe likely cause as the animal was in such a distressing condition.
On returning from the surgery, where Bobby had to be put to sleep, Abigail was devastated to find nine-month-old ‘Rumpel’ showing similar symptoms.
After tests, the vet was able to confirm a fluorescent ‘presence’ which indicated antifreeze in their systems.
Bobby in particular seemed to have ingested a significant amount as he was showing neurological symptoms, yet it only requires a fingernail of antifreeze in a cat’s system for them to suffer kidney failure.
Signs of antifreeze poisoning include vomitting, seeming depressed or sleepy, appearing drunk and uncoordinated, seizures, difficulty breathing, increased thirst and urination.
The deaths come just over a year after two cats died in a similar way in the Paddock Lane area of Oakenshaw.
Deliberately poisoning a cat is a criminal offence under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and the maximum penalty for anyone found guilty is up to six months imprisonment and/or a £20,000 fine.
An RSPCA spokeswoman said: “We would encourage everyone in the area to check where they keep their antifreeze and make sure it is secure and out of the way of cats.”
