INVESTIGATIONS are taking place today after a spate of cat poisonings in Felixstowe.At least one animal has died after eating food spiked with slug pellets and others have needed veterinary treatment.

Richard Cornwell

INVESTIGATIONS are taking place today after a spate of cat poisonings in Felixstowe.

At least one animal has died after eating food spiked with slug pellets and others have needed veterinary treatment.

Officers at the RSPCA are appealing for public help to find out who is responsible after five cats fell victim - possibly harmed by someone keen to keep the pets out of the their garden.

Inspector Marc Niepold said: “Somebody is deliberately setting out to cause pain and suffering to animals by laying out poisoned food.

“This is illegal and we need to find out who is behind these incidents, not least so we can prevent the same thing from happening to other animals.”

The first incident took place 18 months ago when a cat called Twinkle came back to her home in Manwick Road.

She was sick and quite wobbly but recovered.

A few days later another pet Dora was found bleeding from the mouth.

She was rushed to the vet but suffered organ failure and had to be put to sleep later that night. It was found she had been fed tuna laced with blue pellets which were either rat poison or slug pellets.

Stuart and Kerry Avery, owners of both cats, assumed it was a coincidence but since then their cats have come home on six separate occasions with the same symptoms.

In August, Twinkle was found off-balance, salivating and shaking her head, and Breeze, another of the family's cats, suffering from fits with the vet sure the cause was again tuna laced with rat poison. Another cat owner from neighbouring Arwela Road found their cat foaming at the mouth in May and then again in August.

Mr Avery, who has posted leaflets around the neighbourhood to let people know what is happening, said: “At first we thought it was just coincidence but it is happening so often now that we are worried about the cats every time they go out, but we know it's not fair to the cats to keep them inside.

“We understand not everyone likes cats but there are plenty of harmless products to deter cats from gardens or other areas.

“What they are doing now is causing a great deal of hurt and distress to our pets, as well as causing our children to be terrified that their cats will die every time they come home ill.”

Anyone with information on the incidents should call the RSPCA in confidence on 0300 1234 999 or DEFRA on 0800 321 600.