Devastated owner fears cats are being poisoned in Gosport
Hannah Murphy lives in Layton Road, Gosport, and her cats Kiara and Milly died along with two others from the same road who are also thought to have been poisoned.
All four deaths happened within 72 hours and left Hannah thinking the cats were killed deliberately.
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Hide AdThe 23-year-old said: ‘My 18-month-old white cat Kiara came in one evening foaming at the mouth.
‘We rushed to get her to the vets, but she died on the way there.
‘We were told it was down to some form of poisoning.
‘I thought she’d passed out. I screamed when the vet said she was dead.
‘The next morning a cat belonging to a lady down my road died of the exact same thing.’
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Hide AdHannah rang her vets the day after that to cancel Kiara’s insurance policy. She then learned a third cat from Layton road had died.
The next evening Hannah’s 12-year-old tabby cat Milly died.
She added: ‘The whole thing has hit the family like a ton of bricks, I just can’t believe it.
‘An RSPCA officer came out to see me and said a food item had been seized for testing from a porch down the road.
‘Residents have witnessed people being violent to cats, kicking them and throwing water over them.
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Hide Ad‘Along with some of my neighbours, I’d like to think these deaths haven’t been caused deliberately, but it looks like that might be the case.
‘We’ve prowled the streets to see if we can find a cause or any toxins, but there’s been nothing.
‘Kiara was like a therapy cat to me, she was with me through some particularly tough times, and Milly had been with us since she was a kitten.’
The first incident happened on Sunday, March 26.
Veterinary practices in the area have shared messages of warning on social media.
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Hide AdA spokeswoman for the RSPCA said: ‘We’re very concerned to hear reports of cats being poisoned in Layton Road.
‘We were contacted by the owner of a cat who had sadly died after consuming an unknown toxin. We urge anyone who has seen anything suspicious to call us on 0300 123 8018 to help with our investigations.
‘Anyone deliberately poisoning an animal faces a £20,000 fine and/or six months in prison under the Animal Welfare Act.’