A resident of Doornpoort was devastated when all three of his cats recently died because of poisoning.
Charl du Toit said he initially blamed the food he had given his cats the previous evening, but was mistaken.
“I contacted Promeal, which produces Petley’s cat and dog food, to report the matter. Promeal was very helpful, and offered to send the cats for post-mortem examinations on its account,” Du Toit said.
The post-mortems revealed that all three cats had been poisoned with Terbufos – an industrial organophosphate insecticide often used to kill dogs and cats.
“I would like to thank the employees from Promeal for their swift assistance regarding our situation and their love for animals,” Du Toit said.
Korky Levanon, spokesperson of the Tshwane SPCA, said there had not been a rise in cat poisonings in Pretoria, but added that such killings did happen.
“Many people see cats as vermin. This is especially true when it comes to feral cats that have not been sterilised and could become a problem in certain areas,” Levanon said.
Levanon said it was a criminal offence to poison any animal, and urged people to report any poisonings to the police.
Du Toit warned residents in Doornpoort to be on the alert.
“Why poison a cat? It does not make any sense,” he said.
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