Three cats poisoned tonight.

[silverweb]

First, my neighbor's cat died. Fortunately, he was dead when his owner found him, because he was completely distraught when he came to tell me and I'm glad he didn't have to see the process.

Shortly after he went home, one of mine started drooling frothy mucus, aspirating, gasping and gagging, and convulsing. Not long after he died, my favorite started with the same thing. They're both gone now after a nightmarish death.

The others are locked up inside and so far seem to be okay. My heart is breaking and I'm so livid I want to tear the poisoner apart with my bare hands.

There's only one variable in the neighborhood -- my new next-door neighbor, who was overhead telling someone that he hates cats. I share a duplex with this person. We've talked. He knows I have cats, but he never said a word to me about disliking them. He never once mentioned that they walk on his truck and leave paw prints. He never said a thing about suspecting them of crapping in his patch of weeds (literally, a small patch of untended weeds, nothing else but concrete). I don't know for sure that he's the one, but all indications point to him.

Meanwhile, I'd like to draw on your collective expertise. What kind of poison causes clear, frothy, blood-tinged mucus and/or vomit and convulsions, then death? I don't know how long the convulsions go on because my neighbor's cat was alread dead when he was found, and I suffocated both of mine to end their torture.

My primary suspect owns a used car lot and a mechanical shop, so he has access to all kinds of chemicals. Would antifreeze kill in this way?

The vet won't be in until Monday morning, and I just pray we don't have more than the current 3 bodies to take him.

I'm too angry to even cry yet. Any information re what kind of poison may have been used is appreciated.

[japple]

1. Oh no! What a nightmare. So sorry you are having to deal with this, silverweb.

I wish I had some answers to your questions. Hope your vet can help you figure out what might have poisoned yours and your neighbor's cats. I can't imagine anything more traumatic to me than watching one of my beloved pets die like you did. Sending positive energies in your direction and asking the universe to give you comfort and peace in this time of sorrow.
:hug: and keep your kitties inside.

[silverweb]

3. Thank you, japple.

When I only had 2 cats, both female, keeping them inside was easy. Once I got to 5, then 6, then 7 (all strays rescued off the street here in Mexico), the young adult males, in particular, went nuts at night trying to get out. They were all spayed/neutered at a young age, but the boys still demanded their adventure once they got close to a year old.

I enclosed my small yard completely and tried to make it escape proof, but the 2 males who died last night always managed to find a way out eventually. One of them even did "cat parkour," literally climbing the stucco to get to the roof.

My yard is not quite a kitty paradise yet, but I'm working on it. They all were content to stay in the enclosure, laying around in the sun and playing... until nightfall. Then the older boys were intent on only one thing -- escape.

I started signaling treat time at midnight to keep them in. By 11:30, they'd all be sitting around staring at me while I finished my last half hour of work. After treats, I'd let them out during the wee hours so they could play with their neighborhood friends and hunt without fear of traffic or street dogs. Then it would be back inside the yard/house for the next day, sometimes with a mouse or mole as a trophy. It was a happy compromise until last night.

Anyway, I kept everyone in last night. The older boys were very vocally unhappy, but the girls and the male kitten slept with me. I'll be looking for any possible escape routes to close off this afternoon.

[haele]

2. So sorry, how horrible -

If you can look around surreptitiously and see if there's any food or kibble outside in the neighborhood that they could have gotten into, that would be a good indication of were the poison is coming from.

It actually sounds like rat poison (usually strychnine) or drain cleaner. Shari had nibbled on a dead rat and had frothy convulsions for a couple hours, but recovered - she immediately threw up outside a couple times after she got at the rat, but still got enough in her system that we had to get her treated.
Since the kitties systems are so delicate, any little bit of poison is devastating.
I'm so, so sorry you had to go through that with your babies. People who hate enough to poison other people's pets have no idea what it's like.

Haele

[silverweb]

5. Thank you, Haele.

The next-door neighbor was already gone when I woke up, so I looked over into his yard/driveway. He had hosed off a narrow section of the driveway, which is unusual. There are also what appear to be a couple of small plastic bags in his little weed patch. I'm going to try to reach the nearest one to see if there's anything suspicious in it or if it's just trash.

This is a densely residential neighborhood in Mexico. Every property is enclosed with tall wrought iron fencing like mine or, for the wealthier homes, some kind of privacy fence or wall. Also, nearly every household has at least one dog, so there's food and water in practically every yard.

I still strongly suspect the next-door neighbor. He's one of the very few with no pets at all and was overhead recently telling someone he hated cats.

What you say about strichnine sounds right. Meanwhile, I have a dorm-sized refrigerator that hasn't been used in years serving as a morgue chiller and I'm anxious to hear what the vet has to say tomorrow.

[Mz Pip]

4. I can't imagine

what you must be going through. I hope you notified the police. This kind of animal cruelty is criminal. Maybe they can help in finding out what killed the animals.

Anti-freeze is deadly so that is certainly a possibility.

So very sorry that you have to deal with this. It's hard enough losing a pet to natural causes. This is beyond horrible.

[silverweb]

6. Thank you, Mz Pip.

This would be criminal in the U.S., but I'm not sure about here. I know one of the local police officers who speaks English, so I'm going to try to find him and see what he says.

I'm not very hopeful that this is criminal here, especially since the poison was almost certainly in the killer's yard, but maybe there is something the police can do.

[Zoigal]

7. Anyone who would poison a pet (or any animal) is a miserable,

despicable person. Please call your animal control
and report it. Some areas have laws about such crimes.
At least they may be able to warn neighbors that such
things are occurring and encourage them to keep their
pets indoors. My heart goes out to you. Have you asked
your next door "neighbor" if he knows of anyone in the
area who would do such a thing? Perhaps you might be able
to tell by his reaction if he is the culprit. So sorry........z

[silverweb]

8. Agreed.

Miserable and despicable, and very possibly some degree of sociopath.

I'm in Mexico and don't know if there are any laws regarding this sort of thing here. However, I'll be seeing my vet in the morning and he will surely know. He's an excellent doctor and a good person, and I'll take any advice he offers.

The suspect and I share the water bill, which is due in about 2 weeks. The bill comes to me and then I collect his share from him. I intend to tell him then that I know he is responsible for poisoning the cats, and his reaction will hopefully tell me if it's true or not. I will also know by that time if any Mexican laws were broken.

My main focus now is to make sure the remaining 5 are safe. I spent today going over the enclosure carefully and sealing off any possible escape routes. I planned the yard enclosure so they could enjoy the sun, chase bugs, toys, and each other, and yet be safe from street dogs and traffic. They're quite content to stay there during the day, but after dark is a very different story.

The master escape artist was Izzy, who was my favorite as well as my problem child. When he was determined to get out, nothing could stop him. He would even climb the stucco wall to get to the roof (see "cat parkour" on YouTube), which none of the others have even attempted.

Until the yard enclosure is unequivocally, completely escape proof, they'll be locked in the house at night and when I have to go out. They're not at all happy about it, but they're safe.

Meanwhile, I will be posting signs around the neighborhood warning about poison that has already given three an agonizing end. A lot of people let their dogs run loose here, too, and the same poison would kill them just as dead as the cats.

Thanks for your kind words, Zoigal.

[roody]

9. I'm so, so sorry.

[badgerpup]

10. dear gods...

What you must have suffered, watching your babies suffer...

I cannot even get my head around what kind of person could do this sort of thing.

Hope the law (and your other neighbors) give you some backup here.

[get the red out]

11. I'm boiling reading this

You are a better person than I am because I don't know where such rage would take me.

The person who did this belongs in hell.

[ceile]

12. I'm so sorry.

I can't imagine going through that. Keep us posted on confronting the neighbor.