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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

My cat was poisoned yesterday

20 replies

Pixie99 · 17/04/2013 20:45

Mainly a message to make other cat owners aware.

Last night my gorgeous cat Harvey died, he was killed.

Someone poisoned him with antifreeze.

The vet said that there has been 27 cases recently in our area (Cardiff) but also happens across the country. But that lots of people don't know the dangers. Antifreeze has a sweet smell that is attractive to cats.

Link to some info from the RSPCA about signs and symptoms of poisoning

www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/cats/health/poisoning/antifreeze

OP posts:

TomArchersSausage · 17/04/2013 20:48

I'm so so sorry, you must be terribly upset.

How could anyone be so cruel? I can't see why antifreeze manufacturers aren't doing something about this.

cozietoesie · 17/04/2013 20:57

So very sorry, Pixie. There have been a dreadful spate of these, whether deliberate or accidental.

Original poster

Pixie99 · 17/04/2013 21:05

We are devastated he was only 3 . I just don't get some people...how could you do that to a defenceless animal? The fact there has been so many seems to suggest its not an accident.

Not sure how his sister is going to be without him...they didn't like being in different rooms! Don't think that we'll be letting her out any more!

Just hope that getting the message out there will stop other people being in the same situation. And I agree...antifreeze should have something in it so it doesn't taste nice!!

OP posts:

StuffezLaYoni · 17/04/2013 21:09

I'm so sorry for your loss. :-(

fackinell · 17/04/2013 21:11

Oh Pixie, that's just awful. I'm so sorry for your loss. There is a FB group named 'stop our cats being poisoned by antifreeze,' that you may find support on. I would suggest that you keep your other kitty in for the time being or at least consider a kitty cam recorder from amazon!!

Original poster

Pixie99 · 17/04/2013 21:12

Thank you all for your messages.

OP posts:

Wheresmycaffeinedrip · 17/04/2013 21:25

So sorry pixie :( this is the third thread where some poor cat has been poisoned. I hope they catch the ones doing it. !!! It's sick.

Sweet dreams pixie cat xx I'm do sorry this happened to you :(

((( hugs )))

thecatneuterer · 17/04/2013 21:27

That is so awful. There have been spates of it in quite a few areas. Yes it shouldn't be too hard to add something that tastes unpleasant to it. The manufacturers should be lobbied.

marzipanned · 17/04/2013 21:29

How utterly dreadful. I am so, so sorry for your loss. Sleep peacefully little Harvey.

edam · 17/04/2013 21:30

Oh, that's terrible, you poor things. I have no idea why anti-freeze manufacturers get away without having to add something to their product that makes it less irresistible to cats. There was a petition about it on the No. 10 website last time we had a thread about this - seems no-one in government gave a toss, sadly.

NorbertDentressangle · 17/04/2013 21:32

This happened to a friends cat a few weeks ago too.

They're really scared every time their other cat goes out now.

Valpollicella · 17/04/2013 21:32

thecat, I read something the other day that said that the sweet tasting thing is a myth as cats lack certain amino acids in their dna and therefore cant taste sweetness? Is that incorrect?

OP I am SO sorry for your poor cat, and for you

GoblinGranny · 17/04/2013 21:36

Quite often it's deliberate poisoning by people who hate cats, but sometimes people add antifreeze to ornamental water features in the winter to stop them freezing solid, and cats drink from them.
Change is on the way, but it needs to be highlighted more.

healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2013/01/28/ethylene-glycol.aspx

edam · 17/04/2013 22:52

Goblin, is the antifreeze we buy in this country made by the same manufacturers?

Original poster

Pixie99 · 18/04/2013 18:09

Thank you for all your messages . It is a horrible thing to happen...just hope that passing the message on may make someone notice the signs more quickly and hopefully save their cat. Initially we just thought he had been in a fight when he came in acting oddly...it wasn't till the evening we realised he was really ill. From what I've read since acting "drunk" seems to be one of the first signs.

OP posts:

QuietTiger · 19/04/2013 17:03

I'm so very sorry about the loss of your boy, Pixie. We're in the Cardiff area too, and this is desperately worrying. :( will spread the message for you.

Iwouldratherbemuckingout · 19/04/2013 20:29

I'm so so sorry to hear this :(

tabbycat15 · 20/04/2013 10:08

I'm so sorry to hear that. Thinking of you.

greenfern · 20/04/2013 10:12

So sorry for your loss.

QueenStromba · 20/04/2013 13:14

I'm so sorry for your loss. There was another thread just a couple of weeks ago where someone lost their cat to antifreeze poisoning. It makes me glad that my girl is an indoor cat.

Valpollicella: I can't speak to whether or not cats can taste sweetness but lacking amino acids in their DNA is bollocks. DNA is made out of nucleic acids and it codes for proteins which are made out of amino acids. Cats can make, or get from their food, the same 23 amino acids that make proteins that we can. It's possible that they don't have taste receptors for sweetness and that would make sense since they're carnivores and have no evolutionary reason to be able to detect sweetness. The only reason humans have taste receptors for sweet is that sweet means non poisonous when it comes to berries. The person who told you about lacking amino acids in their DNA was probably getting confused between cats lacking genes for detecting sweetness and lacking the gene to make taurine which is commonly referred to as an amino acid even though it isn't technically an amino acid.

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