Owner's warning after cat killed by antifreeze
by Hayley Robinson
An animal lover is urging
people to be vigilant after her beloved cat died of suspected
antifreeze poisoning.
Sarah Sharp’s pet Coco
(pictured) fell ill within two hours of returning home last
Tuesday.
She said: "He started showing
signs but I just didn’t put two and two together.
"He couldn’t hold himself up
on his back legs and he was sick two times after eating.
"He was wobbly and walking
like he was drunk – it was as if he’d aged by about 20
years.
"He was very lethargic. We
just thought he’d eaten something funny at first. Usually he goes
out at night but he didn’t want to.
"When I got him out of his
bed the following morning he was wet. I thought it was sweat but it
was wee. He also couldn’t keep his head up by this
point."
The 46-year-old took him to
SittiVets, Castle Road, Sittingbourne, where tests revealed he had
been poisoned by the chemical which is made mostly of ethylene
glycol and is highly toxic to humans and animals.
Coco, three, was kept in for
treatment but by Friday Mrs Sharp and her husband Darryl were
forced to make the heartbreaking decision to put the cat down as
his condition wasn’t improving.
The couple, who live in
Murston, say they have no reason to believe their pet was
deliberately poisoned but are warning other cat owners to be on
their guard.
Mrs Sharp, who has two other
cats, added: "The vet didn’t think it was malicious. She explained
cats only have to walk on the road where there’s been a spillage
then lick their paws to ingest it.
"Also, another way of a cat
being exposed to antifreeze is sitting under a car and a leak in a
radiator drips on their fur and then they start grooming
themselves.
"Just a quarter of a teaspoon
is all that’s needed to kill a cat, which is not a lot.
"All I ask is that if anyone spills any antifreeze they
make sure they wash it away with hot soapy water. We don’t want
anyone else to have to go through what we’ve been
through."
22/11/12
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