Mum issues warning as cat suffers 'horrific' death after eating rat poison
A heartbroken mum has issued a warning to pet owners after her cat suddenly died just hours after she unknowingly consumed "barbaric" rat poison.
Sarah Spencer, from Meanwood, Rochdale, initially brushed off the symptoms after she thought that her pet Lilly, 10, had suffered a nose bleed. The mum said Lilly had carried on as "normal", but the very next day, she had noticed the feline "hunched up" in their garden, whilst she bled heavily from her nose and bottom.
It wasn't until she rushed her to the vet that she was told that Lilly had ingested an anticoagulant rat poison, which can lead to deadly haemorrhages. Due to the extent of her injuries, they had no choice but to have her put down.
Recalling what happened before her death, Sarah said: "The evening before we lost her, we saw some drops of blood on the floor. At first, I thought my son was bleeding and checked him for where it had come from but he was fine. Then we noticed Lilly was sitting near him and she had the tiniest bit of blood coming from one nostril. I was worried that she hurt herself, but the bleeding stopped and she was happy and eating and acting as usual so I didn't think much more about it."
Sarah said her daughter Rosalie had to help calm Theo down after Lilly fell ill (Sarah Spencer)
Sarah said the cat is a part of their family (Sarah Spencer)The following morning, Lilly played outside whilst Sarah took her kids to the library and sweet shop. But when she returned home, Sarah realised something wasn't right. She added: "I was about to make lunch but when I looked out of the kitchen window, I saw Lilly hunched up in the backyard with blood dripping from her bottom. I ran outside to get her and saw it was coming from her nostrils too. It was a lot of blood and it was shocking to see." Sarah said her children Rosalie, 9, and Theo, 4, were left "horrified" by the incident. She said she had attempted to hide the blood as she desperately searched for a local vet.
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The pet owner continued: "Her usual vet had no vet on site so I rang around other local vets to try and get some help. It was terrifying, but we managed to get her to the Bury ARMAC emergency vet. The wait to get seen was frustrating and difficult as Lilly bled out onto a blanket but we did get seen, and the vet was absolutely wonderful.
Sarah looked after Lilly for around 6 years (Sarah Spencer)"He was very fast to realise she must have ingested poison due to her symptoms and the fact she was an avid hunter. He gave her thorough checks and said she had lost so much blood, her paws were already cold and her heart rate was too fast. Her only option was a full blood transfusion but she was so badly affected already that even that had a shockingly bad prognosis and was unlikely to help at all. There was really only one choice left. I got some time to say goodbye and then she went to sleep."
Sarah praised her "special" cat for the support she provided when she had lost her best friend to cancer. "She meant everything to our family," she said. I lost my best friend to cancer last year and I spent so many times crying into Lilly's fur while she cuddled me. My daughter can't remember life without her and my son has never lived without her! She was special to my husband too."
Lilly was rushed to a vet after her condition started to deteriorate (Sarah Spencer)
The pet owner said Lilly helped her through some tough times (Sarah Spencer)Since the tragedy earlier in August, Sarah has branded the use of poisoning as "inhumane" and is hoping to raise awareness about the dangers of placing it outdoors. According to Gov.UK, you can only use "poison to kill the pests it’s intended for" and you can be fined or imprisoned if unnecessary harm is caused to an animal.
The mum said: "The type of rat poison Lilly had ingested depleted vitamin K in the body. This stops blood from clotting and means it literally bleeds out of the animals' orifices via haemorrhage and internal/external bleeding. It is an excruciatingly painful and slow way to die and can take as long as ten days. You wouldn't even want rats to suffer like that."
She continued: "Any animal attracted to the pellets or poisoning can be directly affected, however, even if you put the poison out of reach to humans/bigger animals they can be poisoned by consuming the affected rat. This is how Lilly came to be poisoned and it is also an issue for owls and other wildlife. If an animal ingests a poisoned rat, they also ingest the poison and suffer the same fate."
Some signs of rat poisoning include vomiting, diarrhoea, salivation and breathing difficulties. However, other indicators show up as twitching or fitting, inflammation or swelling of the skin, pale gums and a change in urinating, appetite or drinking habits. Owners are urged to contact a vet immediately if they believe their pet has digested poison.
Experts have urged homeowners to be weary of other wildlife when placing poison down. Experts at Sutton Manor Nursery said earlier this year: “If you find rats in your garden, you should not put down rat poison outdoors. This is because it is extremely dangerous to birds, wildlife and pets. The poison can also be harmful to children. Instead, you should contact pest control services as they will be able to provide assistance.”
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