A BEN Venue resident is warning pet owners to beware after his two cats and a stray he fed were poisoned. Mitchell Moncrieff said he believed someone in the neighbourhood was deliberately baiting cats with the human painkiller Nurofen. “One morning I was going to work and I found our big white cat Orpheus couldn’t get up the back steps, he was really sick,” Mr Moncrieff said. “I took him to the vet, but he died three days later.” At about the same time the stray disappeared and then a month or so later his second cat Frankie didn’t come home. Mr Moncrieff later found Frankie sick and listless in a corner under the house and when a relative went to retrieve the cat, he also discovered the remains of the stray. Frankie was taken to the North Hill vet clinic, suffering the same symptoms as Mr Moncrieff's other cat. The vet conducted an autopsy and it appeared the cat was poisoned with Nurofen. According to WebMD, ibuprofen is toxic to cats and some analgesics can cause fatal hemolytic anaemia and liver failure in cats. Upset about his loss, Mr Moncrieff warned a neighbour who had just moved in, to take great care with his two cats as he suspected someone was poisoning them. About a week later one of the neighbour’s cats also died. “The poisoner has to be someone in the vicinity of Richardson Avenue or Wilson Street,” he said. “I've told the police and the RSPCA who will monitor any more cat deaths.” New England Regional Companion Animal Shelter manager Phil Evans said it was an offence under the Companion Animals Act to harm or kill pets. “Council will try to remedy the situation,” Mr Evans said. “By law cat owners are not required to keep their cats inside, however, many responsible cat owners have special enclosures to keep their cats safe.”
A BEN Venue resident is warning pet owners to beware after his two cats and a stray he fed were poisoned.
Mitchell Moncrieff said he believed someone in the neighbourhood was deliberately baiting cats with the human painkiller Nurofen.
“One morning I was going to work and I found our big white cat Orpheus couldn’t get up the back steps, he was really sick,” Mr Moncrieff said.
“I took him to the vet, but he died three days later.”
At about the same time the stray disappeared and then a month or so later his second cat Frankie didn’t come home.
Mr Moncrieff later found Frankie sick and listless in a corner under the house and when a relative went to retrieve the cat, he also discovered the remains of the stray.
Frankie was taken to the North Hill vet clinic, suffering the same symptoms as Mr Moncrieff's other cat.
The vet conducted an autopsy and it appeared the cat was poisoned with Nurofen. According to WebMD, ibuprofen is toxic to cats and some analgesics can cause fatal hemolytic anaemia and liver failure in cats.
Upset about his loss, Mr Moncrieff warned a neighbour who had just moved in, to take great care with his two cats as he suspected someone was poisoning them.
About a week later one of the neighbour’s cats also died.
“The poisoner has to be someone in the vicinity of Richardson Avenue or Wilson Street,” he said.
“I've told the police and the RSPCA who will monitor any more cat deaths.”
New England Regional Companion Animal Shelter manager Phil Evans said it was an offence under the Companion Animals Act to harm or kill pets.
“Council will try to remedy the situation,” Mr Evans said.
“By law cat owners are not required to keep their cats inside, however, many responsible cat owners have special enclosures to keep their cats safe.”
