Residents of the Chantry area of Ipswich are concerned for their pets’ safety, after three cats died last week in suspected poisonings.

Several neighbours said they had lost cats in recent years to suspected antifreeze poisoning, although they could not be sure whether the cats had been poisoned maliciously or else ingested it accidentally.

Now, fears are growing after three cats in the Hawthorn Drive area have either been found dead or had to be put to sleep.

One woman, who preferred not to give her name, explained that her one-and-a-half-year-old cat had been taken ill on Wednesday night with sickness and diarrhoea.

On Thursday, he was listless and lying by his water bowl. That afternoon, a family member noticed the cat was not able to walk and rushed him to the vet.

“They originally told us he had either a stroke or had been poisoned, and then ran blood tests to find out,” the woman explained.

“He had been poisoned with antifreeze. They obviously couldn’t say it was purposeful without an autopsy, but the vet kept repeating the amount in his system was a lot.”

The vet told her that her cat was unlikely to recover, and she made the difficult decision to have him put to sleep.

“He was greedy and loving and everyone’s friend,” she said.

Ipswich Star: This cat had to be put to sleep after ingesting antifreeze. His owner said he was a loving, otherwise healthy cat who was a 'friend to all'.This cat had to be put to sleep after ingesting antifreeze. His owner said he was a loving, otherwise healthy cat who was a 'friend to all'. (Image: Contributed)

Another woman living nearby said she found her cat dead on Friday after he was taken ill on Monday. She added that another neighbour had had to have her cat put to sleep on Friday after a suspected poisoning.

It is understood that the police have been made aware of these cases.

An RSPCA spokesperson said: “We are always very concerned to hear about poisoning in pets.

“It is always difficult to determine if cases are accidental incidents or deliberate, however poisoning an animal deliberately is a criminal offence under the Animal Welfare Act.

“Signs of poisoning can be seen anything from 30 minutes after an animal has ingested the chemical, though it can be two or three days before signs of kidney failure are seen.”

Signs of poisoning can include vomiting, appearing depressed, sleepy, drunk and uncoordinated, seizures and difficulty breathing

The spokesperson concluded: “If you suspect that your pet has been poisoned you must take it to a vet immediately. If possible, you should take a sample of what they have eaten/drunk, or the container.”