A SOUTH Darenth homeowner has been left distraught after two of her cats died from antifreeze poisoning.

Bernice Giggins, aged 31, of Millstone Close, was forced to put down two of her family’s cats - eight-year-old Dory and seven-year-old Scooby - on the same day last week. (February 23)

Despite rushing both cats to the vets in West Kingsdown, there was nothing that could be done to save them from what she believes is deliberate poisoning.

In what became a horror day, the mother-of-one explained how she returned home from putting Dory down at 7pm to find Scooby suffering from the same symptoms. She said: “I feel like somebody has basically come into my home and assaulted me.

“As I drove home after putting the first cat down, I thought I didn’t trust this area.

“I don’t want to live here anymore.

“I moved here because of these two cats - I thought the area was a safe environment in a cul-de-sac and there wouldn’t be any chance of them being run over by a car.”

Mrs Giggins says she will be keeping her two remaining cats inside, through fear of someone deliberately offering antifreeze to poison cats.

Vet Graham Hines, who tried to save Dory and Scooby said: “It’s very difficult to treat a cat in this situation - if it’s been more than about six hours there’s no chance of it getting better because the kidney’s fail.

“You never know where the antifreeze came from - cats wander into sheds and if someone leaves a can of antifreeze there the cat could drink this.”

He added how another cat suffering from antifreeze poisoning had been brought to the vets last month and this incident follows a spate of animal cruelty in the north Kent area.

News Shopper reported last month how two cats in Hextable and three ducks in Sutton-at-Hone were shot with an airgun.

A Kent Police spokesman confirmed officers had taken a statement from Mrs Giggins and encouraged pet-owners to remain vigilant.