A cat poisoner appears to be active in the area of the Old Fort Chapel in Old Fort Road Durban.
A spokesperson for Cats of Durban – the voluntary organisation that looks after the well-being of stray and feral cats in Durban said in a media release this afternoon that it had been alerted to the possibility of a cat poisoner in the area.
The organisation said there was a managed colony of cats that live on the open ground around the Old Fort Chapel. The cats have been sterilized and they are fed by a Cats of Durban volunteer, Owen O’Neill.
Ethekwini Municipality supports the establishment of managed cat colonies in the city’s open spaces as a vermin-control measure, because feral cats kill rats and mice and cockroaches. O’Neill reported that a few weeks ago he had found a strange container of raw mince near his feeding station. He destroyed the food, deducing that it was poisoned meat.
Last week, two of his cats were found dead. This week, a third cat was found near death. The cat is currently at the vet, who has determined that the cat ingested an organophosphate-type substance (an ingredient commonly found in insecticides).
It is highly unlikely that a cat would eat pesticide by accident, so the only deduction is that the insecticide was mixed with cat food and placed near the spot where the cats are commonly fed.
The organisation said it wanted to warn the public and said it was in the process of gathering evidence and would not hesitate to lay charges.
It warned that poisoning a cat, or even threatening to poison a cat, is an offence under the Animal Protection Act 71 of 1962. It carries a prison sentence of three years, or a R60 000 fine.
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