'Who's been killing my cats?' (From Gazette)

'Who's been killing my cats?'

4:46pm Friday 24th August 2012 in News

A PET lover is warning neighbours not to let their animals out after seven of her cats died from suspected poisoning in the last decade.

Anne Rodger, 69, claims anti-freeze was the cause of the deaths and says she has found the substance on garden walls, fences and paths.

Mrs Rodger, who lives in Granville Road, in Colchester, started keeping cats when her then teenage daughter Janet began bringing home pets from Colchester Cat Rescue in 1990.

Now she is urging pet owners in the road, as well as in nearby Wimpole Road, to keep their pets indoors for fear of them ingesting the substance.

“I have had seven cats die now in the last ten years, one at a time, and it is breaking my heart,” said Mrs Rodger.

“I love having them around but I just wouldn’t adopt another one because it is just me giving them a death sentence.”

Mrs Rodger added each cat died experiencing the same symptoms, which include not being able to go to the toilet and finding it difficult to move.

The family’s first cat, Pickle, died about ten years ago and has been followed by Corky, Bill, Bob, Pooh and, most recently, Lucy 1 and Lucy 2 last month.

“This has been going on for a long time now and the people who are doing this haven’t got a kind bone in their body.”

An Essex Police spokesman confirmed a complaint has been made, which has been directed to the RSPCA.

Noone from the RSPCA was available to comment before the Gazette went to press but the charity has issued advice warning pet owners that cats are attracted to anti-freeze because of its sweet scent.