TOXIC antifreeze has been blamed for killing cats in a village cul-de-sac.

Three pets from Tower Close in Marcham were poisoned in the same week, suffering kidney problems that proved to be fatal for two of them.

Amanda Davies lost beloved cat Lulu but managed to save her kitten Bertie, and is now warning drivers of the danger of spilling the deadly chemical. 

The mother-of-two, who lives in Tower Close, said her 10-year-old moggie hid in the garden on January 11 after suddenly becoming sick.

She said: "I heard her making a weird noise. I climbed through the hedge and she was just lying there. I rushed her to the vets and they said she had kidney failure."

The vet suspected Lulu's rapidly deteriorating condition was due to ingestion of ethylene glycol, a chemical found in antifreeze.

She died that evening and exactly a week later Mrs Davies' nine-month-old kitten Bertie displayed similar symptoms.

Oxford Mail:

Above: Bertie the kitten

She said: "She was a bit subdued and really poorly. We thought we were going to lose her."

After five days in intensive care little Bertie was back home, but contracted long-term kidney damage. 

Mrs Davies, 41, said: "On the same night Bertie was taken in another cat died, linked to antifreeze – that's three cats in the same road."

She said another cat went missing from Tower Close the same week, presumed dead.

Mrs Davies, a sponsorship and events manager, said her seven-year-old daughter and four-year-old son were ‘devastated’ by the loss of Lulu.

She said: “They struggled to understand, they kept asking when she was going to come home. It was horrible, my son would wake up in the night crying.

"I know people think they’re only pets, but I never thought it would hit me as hard as it did. It can have a massive impact on people’s families.”

Mrs Davies urged people to take care when topping up screenwash or spraying de-icer, and to clean up thoroughly if there is a spillage.

She has alerted the RSPCA and dropped letters through neighbours' doors. 

The RSPCA said on its website that it has been ‘deeply concerned and saddened’ by cases of cats being purposely poisoned with antifreeze.

However Mrs Davies is hopeful that the Marcham cases are accidental, perhaps caused by the chemical leaking into puddles. 

She said: “It could be someone being malicious but I would hate to think that.”

Veterinary surgeon Daniel Preece, who treated Lulu and Bertie at Vets4Pets in Abingdon, said: “A tiny bit of antifreeze can cause lethal kidney failure in a matter of hours.

"It’s a horrible thing and can be devastating. Bertie was lucky – most cats do not survive, it’s really deadly.

"It can also affect dogs but they tend to have less sensitive kidneys."

Campaigners have pushed for companies to add a bittering agent to antifreeze so cats are not tempted by its sweet taste.

Mr Preece said for now he hoped raising awareness of the danger could help prevent more fatalities.

For more information and advice visit International Cat Care.