PET owners are being urged to be extra vigilant after at least two cats in the town died from anti-freeze poisoning.

The cats, who belonged to the same family living in Haydon Wick, died at Drove Veterinary Hospital this week, and vets are now warning owners and members of the public to take care when using the substance, which can prove fatal for animals attracted to the sweet taste.

Anti-freeze poisoning is one of the most common forms of poisoning in small animals, mainly because it is so commonly found in households.

It is the toxin, ethylene glycol, that makes anti-freeze lethal for animals. It has a sweet taste to it which cats are attracted to and will consume before the aftertaste becomes apparent and causes it to stop.

Vet Dave Rawlinson, from Drove Veterinary Hospital, said: “We don’t want to alarm people, we want to inform members of the public, not just pet owners, about how to prevent this from happening.

“Anti-freeze shoudn’t be left lying around, left uncovered or in an area where animals can access it.

“It isn’t particularly more common in cats or kittens, but obviously older cats tend to go out more and stray away from home to somewhere else in the neighbourhood where they may get exposed to the poison.

“The key thing is awareness. We need to make sure people are aware that this substance is potentially very toxic.”

Symptoms of anti-freeze poisoning in cats includes drunken behaviour, euphoria/delirium, wobbly, uncoordinated movement, nausea, vomiting and excessive urination.

“One of the problems with the poison is it is difficult to know the cats have been exposed to it until they are critically ill,” said Mr Rawlinson.

“By this time however, it is too late to treat them.

“The first signs are similar to being drunk and within 24 hours it will go on to cause severe damage to the kidneys which will lead to severe kidney failure.

“This is something most vets will come across sporadically – we may have a number of cases in quick succession from a particular area, and this may be because of a particular source in that area that animals are getting it from.

“We have no suggestions that the two recent incidents were in any way malicious.”

Earlier this week, an area in Bedford hit national headlines after 10 cats in one street were poisoned by anti-freeze.