A Paisley woman is urging cat owners to check what food they are giving their pets after some brands have been linked to a deadly feline disease.
Emma Cordingley, 31, is hoping to raise awareness of feline pancytopenia among cat owners after she had to have her beloved moggy Bonnie monitored for the potentially deadly disease.
It emerged last month that vets are probing alleged links between some brands of cat food sold by major retailers including Pets at Home and Sainsbury’s and the illness.
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And Emma, who was feeding six-year-old Bonnie these brands, wants to spread the word so more people know to avoid any foods which could put their pets at risk.
She said: "I did not know anything about this disease and having now joined some awareness groups online it's clear that there are a lot of people out there who are not aware too.
"I had to get Bonnie checked as I knew she had been eating the foods. Thankfully her tests are coming back clear but we will have to keep monitoring her just in case.
"It has a 64 per cent mortality rate and if at risk, cats have to undergo stressful tests to make sure they have not contracted it.
"If it is undetected and symptoms start it can be too late so I wanted to get the word out there so people know not to feed these foods to their cats."
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More than 400 felines are thought to have been diagnosed with the illness - which causes depletion of both white and red blood cells, leading to bleeding, anaemia and clotting problems and making them susceptible to serious infection.
Symptoms include fatigue and fever.
It can be caused by toxins or result from infectious diseases, sepsis, bone cancer and a range of other conditions.
But vets examining the outbreak after more than 250 cats died, are said to have identified a common dietary link.
The Food Standards Agency warned owners of a suspected link between some food products and the rare disorder in June, as manufacturer Fold Hill Foods began recalling products.
In a statement, the Food Standards Agency warned: “If you have bought any of the above products you should stop feeding them to your cat.
“If you have bought an AVA product contact www.petsathome.com and fill out the contact form on the help page or live chat.
"Brands including Applaws, AVA and some of the Sainsbury’s range have been affected.
“If you have bought an Applaws product contact www.applaws.com/uk/contact-us. If you have bought a Sainsbury’s product contact www.sainsburys.co.uk/help or their Customer Careline on 0800 636262. If cat owners are concerned about the health of their pet then they should seek immediate advice from their vet.”
Further information on recalled products is available on the Food Standards Agency’s website at: https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-36-2021-update-1
