Wilberfoss: Spate of village cat deaths sparks RSPCA warning

Narla (left) and Cash (right) were found dead within 24 hours of each other in Wilberfoss

Pet owners in an East Yorkshire village have been warned to remain vigilant after a spate of suspicious cat deaths.

The RSPCA is investigating the deaths of two cats, feared to be the latest in a line of unexplained feline fatalities in Wilberfoss going back decades.

Insp Beth Boyd said: "It's horrendous - young healthy cats are turning up dead in their own gardens."

The charity said it had urged owners to look out for signs of poisoning, seizures and breathing difficulties.

Resident Natasha Hardman's pets, Narla and Cash, were found dead within 24 hours of each other on 27 June.

Despite neither animal being injured each had been drooling saliva, a sign of poisoning, Insp Boyd said.

Ms Hardman's cat Lulu was found with a piece of meat covered in a suspicious blue powder

Two weeks later Ms Hardman said she had discovered the cats' mother, Lulu, with a piece of meat "covered in a blue powder", thought to be rat poison.

Ms Hardman said she had managed to grab the meat before it was eaten.

'Targeting cats'

Another of Ms Hardman's cats, Lily, was found dead in January, with an earlier pet, George, found dead in suspicious circumstances four years ago.

Ms Hardman said: "In the 11 years I have lived here around 15 cats have dropped dead without explanation."

Insp Boyd said one neighbour had lost three cats in the last two years.

She added: "Another neighbour told me over the space of 20 years six of her cats had turned up dead and she recalled around 12 cats dying suspiciously in a two-week period about four years ago."

"It does appear that someone is targeting cats in this area of the village," she said.

Ms Hardman's cat Lily was found dead in January

The RSPCA said suspicious cat deaths in the village appeared to have been "going on for a long time" with a current spike.

The charity urged anyone with information about the incidents to come forward.