Concern over cat poisonings

Rusty Johnston, chiarman of the Tullygarley Residents Association, told the Larne Times that up to seven cats had been poisoned in his community over the past year, three of which have died as a result.

He said: “People are worried about letting their animals out of the house for fear that they will get poisoned. One cat came back to its owner with a half-eaten sausage, which was taken to the vet and found to contain rat poison. Another resident whose cat had been poisoned spent £150 on treatment at the vets, but the animal died.

“I want to warn whoever is behind these despicable acts that if they are caught, they will face prosecution. I am asking people in the Tullygarley area to be stay alert, be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary and report it to either myself or police.”

Circular Road resident Karen Spence fears her cat may also have been poisoned after it went missing over a week ago. “It has happened to so many cats on this street,” she added. “I do not understand why anyone would do this sort of thing to a family pet. I realise that some people do not like cats, but there can be no justification for killing them.”

Roslin Curran of Gleno Veterinary Centre said poisoning was an especially cruel way for a cat to die. “It causes them to bleed from the inside, and by the time the symptoms start to show it is usually too late to do anything to save them,” she added.