RESIDENTS are appealing for information after five cats were poisoned in the same street.
The pets all died after ingesting anti-freeze in St Mary's Close, near Hessle Foreshore.
Distraught owners contacted the police and have sent leaflets out to appeal for information.
Joanne Sutherland lost her cat Fliss last week.
The five-year-old tabby became ill during the night.
She became worse in the morning and was continuously sick and unable to walk by the time Mrs Sutherland rushed her to the vets.
"It was like she was drunk – you could see her swaying," said Mrs Sutherland.
"The vet did a blood test and said it was anti-freeze.
"He said it was rare you could ever save a cat. You need to catch it at the point of ingestion."
Mrs Sutherland has had Fliss and her other cat, Jack, since they were kittens.
"Fliss had been dumped on a tip and rescued while Jack was part of an unwanted litter.
Mrs Sutherland said: "Jack is independent but he has been clingy and looking for Fliss and crying.
"They were always together. He was like her big brother and they always snuggled up together to sleep.
"He is wondering where she is now."
Police and the RSPCA have visited the animals' owners.
Mrs Sutherland said: "If this person knows it is a criminal offence then it might make them think twice.
"They may not realise this is such a serious crime.
"They may not realise the impact it has on people. I was heartbroken.
"I thought Fliss would live until she was old and it was a feeling of utter shock.
"If a person does not like cats coming in the garden, there are other ways."
Rob Croll also lost his pet Bailey.
He said: "Bailey suffered a torturous end to his life because of a disgraceful act of poisoning. This form of poisoning causes a slow and painful death to cats and kittens, of which Bailey suffered severely.
"There was nothing we could do, and nothing the vet could do, to prevent it.
"We are upset at what has happened and angry that someone in this area, a neighbour on the foreshore, could do such a thing to a poor and defenceless family pet."
A spokeswoman for the RSPCA said: "If anyone has any idea who is doing this, can they please contact us?
"They can talk in confidence. Any bits of information they can give us will help, whether someone is doing it deliberately or by accident. It is not always deliberate. Sometimes it is an act of neglect and people don't understand how poisonous this is to cats.
"They suffer extremely fast kidney failure and it could be something as simple as checking the lid is on the bottle in your shed."
Anyone with information should call the RSPCA hotline on 0300 1238108.
