Vet warning after cats doused in petrol

Bella, aged one, was covered in the oily substance

A veterinary practice has issued a warning after two cats were brought in "doused in petrol".

The cats, who were from separate homes, were rushed into a practice in Hedge End, Hampshire, within five days of each other.

Bella, one of the cats affected, had to be put onto antibiotics, with her owner describing the situation as "horrible".

Vets have urged cat owners in the Southampton SO19 area to report anything suspicious to the police.

'No coincidence'

Bella came home "dripping in diesel" at about 21:00 BST on 1 October, according to her owner Jake Paul.

The 26-year-old from Sholing, Southampton, said he had let her outside as usual when he returned from work that afternoon.

Phoning an out-of-hours vet in a panic, Mr Paul was told to try and rinse the substance off her fur.

"I don't know if you've ever tried bathing a cat but I can tell you, she didn't like it one bit," he said.

The next day, she was taken to the Vets4Pets branch, where she was shaved to prevent her ingesting the fuel when washing herself.

"Originally we thought it was something she'd done as she’s not the calmest of cats," he said.

"But now it's happened to someone else, it's no coincidence - I can only assume that someone’s thrown it at her."

Mr Paul said the family and their cat had only moved to the area three months ago

In a post on Facebook, Vets4Pets told cat owners to "be vigilant".

"If you have any concerns regarding your cat, please give your local veterinary practice a call," they added.

Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said it had received a report about the incident but was not currently investigating as "no offences or lines of investigation" had been identified.

"However, cases can be reopened if further evidence or information is provided," a spokesperson added.