PET owners are being put on alert after two cats from the same street in Colne were allegedly deliberately poisoned.

The previously healthy middle-aged cats had to be put to sleep having contracted kidney failure after ingesting anti-freeze.

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Both cats, whose owners lives in Fothergill Street, had been treated at Stanley House Veterinary Group and senior vet Robin Hargreaves said he strongly suspected they had both been deliberately poisoned.

Mr Hargreaves said his colleague had seen the first cat on Monday but when he say that a second cat from the same street had been brought in with the same symptoms the following day he became suspicious.

Mr Hargreaves said: “We are very concerned about this. I would ask all cat owners to remain vigilant and as soon as they see any symptoms to bring their pet in straight away.

“If a dog or a cat ingests anti-freeze they display the symptoms of being drunk and start to vomit.

“With dogs that is often in front of their owner and they bring their pet in straight away.

“We can treat them at that stage and they will often survive.

“The trouble with cats is they often go away in the ‘drunk stage’ and their owners only see them when they are showing signs of depression or are having trouble breathing. By that stage it is often too late.

“In this most recent case both pets had to be put to sleep because they kidneys had failed.

“I can’t prove they were poisoned but I have my suspicions.

“Why would someone have anti-freeze out in the middle of summer? Unfortunately some people know that it is poisonous to cats and will put it in their food.”

Mr Hargreaves said the vets which has surgeries in Colne, Burnley, Barnoldswick and Nelson, receive around a dozen cases of anti-freeze poisoning per year.

Cllr Joe Cooney, who represents Vivary Bridge on Pendle Borough Council, said: “It’s not a very nice thing to hear. It would appear that people are going around deliberately poisoning cats. “I hope the police and RSPCA take the appropriate action if and when these people are caught.”

The police said they have received no reports of deliberate cat poisoning from residents in Fothergill Street recently.

Anyone who suspects their cat may have been poisoned is asked to treat it as an emergency and call Stanley House on 01282 863892.