A cat not expected to survive after being poisoned with anti-freeze is now back home with her five-week-old kittens in Kirriemuir.
Owner Joanna Finlay said her vet advised that the cat, called Amber, be put down because it was so severely affected by poison that was ingested by six cats in the area, killing four of them.
It is not known whether the poisoning was deliberate or a result of inappropriately stored anti-freeze.
“I thought we had got to give her a chance,” said Mrs Finlay. “My son is really attached to her.”
The cat spent three days getting round-the-clock intensive care at Thrums Veterinary Clinic in Kirriemuir and eventually pulled through, much to vet Ian Gill’s surprise.
Amber went missing for a couple of days after losing her appetite and becoming very quiet. After frantic searches, Mrs Finlay was on her way to work as a chef in Enochdhu early in the morning when she saw the cat struggling along a pavement near home.
“I picked her up and she was very light,” said Mrs Finlay. “She had lost a lot of weight.”
Mrs Finlay settled the cat back at home and went to work but when she returned, the cat was even more poorly and she called the vet.
“The vet seemed to think the best thing to do was have her put down. He said there had been five others and only one had survived but it was a lot brighter than her. He didn’t think she stood very much chance of survival at all.
“She couldn’t really move. She felt cold and smelt terrible. Her kidneys had completely shut down. The vet put her on a drip with the antidote but he didn’t hold out much hope she would survive the first night.”
After constant care at the vet, Amber returned home but the vet is still monitoring her kidney function, which could be affected long term.
Poisoning with anti-freeze causes horrific symptoms in affected animals and can cause complete shutdown of the vital organs. The cats affected were all from the Knowehead area and Mr Gill asks anyone who has anti-freeze lying around to clear it away.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact the SSPCA on 03000 999 999 or police.