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A serial cat killer is on the lose after 44 moggies have been poisoned with antifreeze and ecstasy in the same area.

Police have launched a probe into the serial poisoner following the deaths.

The pet poisoner has struck repeatedly over the last two years killing the beloved pets.

The RSPCA and police have now launched a manhunt to catch the poisoner after confirming the spate of deaths were ‘a deliberate act’.

A total of 34 cats have died in Woad Farm Road, Boston, Lincolnshire, while a further 10 have been found dead in nearby Wheeler Close.

RSPCA inspector Becky Harper said: “At this time of year it is highly unlikely to be accidental and due to the ongoing nature of these local poisonings we can only presume this is a deliberate act.

“If a perpetrator is found we will not hesitate to take matters further. There is no excuse for leaving this substance laying about.

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“We have had two in the last week, which is all very suspicious. If you don’t like cats in your garden we recommend you use a water pistol or hose to discourage them with tepid water.”

The latest deaths occurred last Friday when two cats were poisoned after drinking antifreeze.

Vet Michael Kettle, who runs nearby Marshlands Vets, is urging pet lovers to be vigilant and dial 999 if they see anyone acting suspiciously in the area.

He said: “I believe it is malicious and this now needs to be taken very seriously.”

On June 7 last year Lincolnshire Police confirmed they were investigating after three cats were poisoned with ‘an ecstasy-type drug’.

Two recovered while one devastated owner found their pet lying dead in an alleyway.

A post-mortem revealed it had eaten the drug.

University student Shannon Chandley, 20, contacted vets after cat Billy went missing from the family home in Woad Farm Road on December 30 last year.

She said: “I was with my family and when the cat came in she seemed a bit off - she didn’t seem herself.

“My mum thought she had a tummy bug. We put her outside at night and when she didn’t come back for three days I got a bit worried so I phoned the vets and they said a cat had died that matched her description.

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“They said the person who brought her in said she had collapsed down Woad Farm Road. The vet said she died from antifreeze.”

Meanwhile Emma Hibbert, 31, and husband Ian, 42, lost both their cats.

Gibbs, two, and one-year-old Sherlock, who were poisoned with antifreeze.

Sherlock was killed in August 2014 and Gibbs died on July 20 this year.

Mum-of-five Emma said: “When I found each of them convulsing I took them to the vets straight away.

“The vets ran tests on them and found crystals in their kidneys, which is a sign of antifreeze poisoning,

“Their kidneys had already shut down and they both died. There’s definitely someone targeting cats, there are too many cases to think it’s a coincidence.”

Lincolnshire Police officers are patrolling the area and warning residents to remain vigilant.

Signs that an animal has been poisoned include lack of appetite, vomiting, diarrhoea, breathing difficulties and bad breath, twitching or seizures.

(Image: SWNS)

Claire and Glynn Gray have lost six cats in the last two years.

Claire, 37, a project manager, said: “We lost Charlie and Andrex in the summer of 2013, but because Charlie was 15 and Andrex was 16 we just put it down to old age.

“But in September 2013 we lost Minkie, who was seven, in exactly the same way. All of them had a lack of appetite and looked really poorly before they died.

“Last May we lost Abbie and Kensie and they were both six years old. A month later we lost Captain Awesome, who wasn’t even one.

“The vets told us they have dealt with a lot of poisonings, and that’s definitely what’s happened to ours, because you look back and they all died the same.

“I remember Minkie was really squealing in agony and it wasn’t until the vet took some samples that we realised he’d been poisoned.

“His kidneys were shutting down from antifreeze, and it was the same for each of them.

“It feels really personal, like an attack on our family, to lose that many cats in that amount of time.

“I think this is someone who just doesn’t like cats in their garden.

“Either they’re very sick and twisted or they just don’t like them.

“I don’t know how someone could be so evil - they’re killing more and more each year.”