Is there a Serial Cat Killer On The Loose?

sammy | CAT, PET NEWS | May 4, 2009

Warning! Serial Cat Killer On The Loose

A terrible thing is occurring all across the Brislington, Bristol and Bridgwater and Weston-super-Mare areas. In Brislington, Bristol, a cat killer has killed at least twenty cats with very toxic anti-freeze. Bridgwater and Weston-super-Mare at least twenty-nine cats have been killed under similar circumstances. These poor animals have been found dead or seriously ill and have had to be put down by their owners. It’s a very painful way to die. Cats are attracted to the sweet taste of a chemical present in antifreeze, but after ingesting only two teaspoons of liquid they have between one and three hours to receive treatment before they die. Symptoms develop rapidly with the cat becoming thirsty, lethargic, and unsteady on its feet. This can be followed by vomiting, shaking, the development of oral ulcers and collapse. If your animal is showing any of these symptoms, run, don’t walk to the nearest vets. It’s very hard to understand what kind of person would do this to a defenseless animal but in fact, it is happening. The RSPCA is hunting for this despicable person or persons and the group’s communications manager Jane Davidson said, “’The cases we have come across are all from a tight area of a couple of miles, so we assume the anti-freeze has probably come from one source. As yet, we have not been able to discover that source. I would hope this is not malicious because it’s such a horrible thing to do. It could be that someone has put anti-freeze in their garden pond or water feature during the cold weather and cats are drinking from it, or it could also be a car leaking in a garage or on to a driveway. We would also ask the public to be careful when handling or disposing of anti-freeze products.” In other incidents, a cat was shot with a cross-bow in Brislington last month, but vets managed to save its life despite the bolt piercing its intestine. The poisonings also follow an air gun attack on eight-month-old kitten in the nearby Withywood area of Bristol in February. She survived but had to have a leg amputated and her owner said that she was left looking ‘like something out of a horror movie’. The Animal Welfare Act 2006 states that anyone found guilty of causing unnecessary suffering to an animal can face a maximum six-month prison sentence and a £20,000 fine. If you don’t like cats on your property, there a products out there which deter cats easily at low cost. For the time being, owners in these regions are warned to be vigilant and urged to keep their pets at home.