Cat owners should report anything suspicious to the RSPCA

The RSPCA says up to 10 cats around Maran Avenue in Darfield may have been killed by poison in recent months.

The charity was alerted last week by a woman who was forced to have her pets put down after they had convulsions.

A spokeswoman said: "We would urge cat owners in the area to keep a close eye on their pets and report anything suspicious to us."

Poison symptoms

The charity was contacted by Christina Stretton, of Maran Avenue, after she discovered eight of her neighbours' cats had suffered a similar fate to her pets, Fluffy and Skipper.

"We don't know whether someone has deliberately set out to kill these cats or whether they have gained access to a toxic substance," the spokeswoman added.

"If someone is deliberately putting down poison in order to kill pets we need to track down the culprit."

Symptoms of poisoning in cats include breathing difficulties, fitting and a foamy discharge from the nose or mouth.