Fresh calls for drivers to check which anti-freeze they are using in their cars have been sparked after an Ipswich mum lost all three of her cats within 24 hours.
The owner shared her heartbreak – and fears they had been deliberately poisoned just days before Christmas – with users of the closed Facebook group Ipswich Missing Cats over the weekend.
Her concerns, shared by the page’s administrator Deni Parkes, come as six-year-old Noelle was found seriously injured in Clacton after being shot with air pellets.
The black and white moggy was found staggering along Alton Park Road with a broken leg earlier this month – prompting an urgent witness appeal to be issued by the RSPCA.
Speaking last night, Ms Parkes urged owners to be aware of the “multitude” of dangers faced by pets at this time of year.
“Last week one of our Ipswich Missing Cat members lost three of her beautiful cats on the same day to anti-freeze poisoning,” she said. “Winter is here. For cats, dogs, and the wildlife, the risk of anti-freeze poisoning is high, be it accidental, or deliberate.”
She added: “It is devastating to lose a much-loved pet companion, but to know they have suffered an agonising death compounds the loss. To lose three on the same day for us cat lovers is inconceivable, and unacceptable, when it could have been prevented.”
RSPCA inspectors believe Noelle, who is being looked after by volunteers, could be a family pet and are urging people to come forward with information about her injuries.
She is not micro-chipped and was found without a collar, but was in good condition and the animal welfare charity is urgently trying to find her owners.
Chief inspector Sam Garvey said: “She is a lovely cat and, other than the injuries, was in good condition when she was found. We think she is a family pet who has gone missing and it’s likely there is someone out there who is desperately missing her.”
She added: “We’re also investigating the circumstances around how she came to suffer such awful injuries.”
Call 0300 123 8018 with information.
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