A CAT owner in Thornwell is encouraging owners to back a petition to put a bittering agent in antifreeze after her pet was put down.

Claire Langton’s cat Gene was taken ill with antifreeze poisoning and she is now encouraging animal lovers in the area to be vigilant after several other cats were poisoned in the area.

Last month, Gene was taken ill with what was initially believed to be dehydration.

Claire said: “Gene went out and came back at around 7pm. He seemed a bit wobbly so I assumed he might be dehydrated.

“His legs then started to go so I took him to the emergency vets. The vet suggested he could be dehydrated and advised me to take him home.”

Soon after Gene started constantly twitching and was put on a drip. He suffered a seizure and sadly had to be put down.

“This month our neighbour’s cats have been poisoned by anti-freeze,” she added, “The toxicity levels in one of the cats is high and it’s likely he’ll have to be put down too.”

Last month Gwent Police were contacted from Bulwark following suspected antifreeze poisoning. A spokesperson for Gwent Police said: “We received a call on 13th August from a resident living on Alice Crescent, Bulwark who reported that two of her cats had died. She believed they may have digested antifreeze.

“Officers carried out enquiries and found no evidence of any offence having been committed.”

According to the RSPCA ingesting even a small amount of antifreeze can cause kidney failure and death.

If you suspect your pet has come into contact with antifreeze and leaked water coolant the RSPCA advise to take your pet to the vet immediately. Symptoms to look out for are: vomiting, the appearance of depression or sleepiness, drunk and uncoordinated behaviour, seizures and difficulty breathing.

The signs of antifreeze can appear 30 minutes after ingestion.

Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 poisoning cats can constitute a criminal offence which carries a maximum penalty of six months imprisonment and/or a £20,000 fine.

Last year Monmouthshire County Council (MCC) wrote to the Welsh and UK government to encourage them to put a bittering agent in anti-freeze to protect animals from consuming the product.

Antifreeze contains a substance called Ethylene Glycol, a highly toxic substance that kills tens of thousands of pets every year.

To sign the petition to introduce a bittering agent into antifreeze, visit: www.change.org/p/uk-eu-parliaments-law-defra-ban-all-antifreeze-preparations-unless-they-contain-a-bitterant