There are fears cats may have been poisoned on a Kent estate after three died and many more fell mysteriously ill.

Alanna Wilton, from Langley Park, Maidstone, took it upon herself to investigate after a number of residents found their pets suddenly vomiting and shaking.

The 39-year-old runs Waggs & Tails, a pet and home sitting service.

Her ginger tabby, who is just 18 months old, became poorly at the end of September.

"Boris had diarrhoea quite badly, he didn't want to go out or even leave my room which is unlike him," she explained.

"Then I noticed he was laying on his back showing his belly but it was his eyes, they looked vacant, empty, he wasn't doing his usual pose, he wasn't right at all.

"He wasn't even responding to me at first and then I saw his legs kept shaking.

"Straight away I called his vets, and took him down to be seen – they checked him over and said it's probably a virus, but couldn't rule out anything more sinister at that stage."

After looking on social media, Alanna says she noticed messages on a local Facebook page complaining about cats pooing in resident's gardens.

She said: "A couple of people in particular took it too far and posted some concerning comments regarding the situation.

"The content of these posts made me feel uneasy and I started to wonder if our cats had become sick due to a poisoning or deterrent that may or may not have been used carelessly in anger.

"As much as we can't jump to conclusions it did worry me. I was concerned at the sheer lack of common sense and knowledge regarding cats and how much control us owners have over them whilst they are out on their little adventures."

Alanna then took it upon herself to investigate if any other animals in the area were affected too.

So far she has received 10 confirmed reports of cats from the Langley Park development becoming sick in the last four weeks.

Another three cats have also died during this time.

The 39-year-old says the majority of the animals displayed the same or similar symptoms to one another – extreme lethargy, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and an absent/far away look in their eyes.

Stephanie Galvis, who also lives in Langley Park, spent £250 on an emergency vet visit after her cat Cooper fell ill.

She said: "Both my two cats were throwing up randomly for two weeks after coming in from the outside.

"At the beginning of October Cooper didn't want to eat or drink anything and was lethargic.

"We rushed him to the vets out of hours as we suspected he had been poisoned. I was very concerned.

"They told us it didn't look too serious, and to bring him back if it got worse – after three days he was better again."

Alanna has been posting her findings on an animal lost and found social media page, and put out an appeal to other residents with animals to come forward.

One resident, who lives in Edmett Way, commented: "She had lots of bloods taken and she had toxins in it, a level that she should of not been able to survive at all.

"The vet thought it was antifreeze at first, as this is common for the time of year and winter, and only a tiny drop is fatal for a cat, but she pulled through."

Another from Gilbert Way said: "One of my cats have been lethargic since the morning, vomiting too and hasn’t eaten or drunk much all day."

A number of causes have been suggested within the community, including antifreeze, rat poisoning, weed killer or just a bad virus going round.

Alanna understands the estate management, run by the HML group, had recently sprayed weed killer in and around the vicinity.

'We rushed him to the vets out of hours as we suspected he had been poisoned. I was very concerned...'

It is said glyphosate was used – a herbicide which has been banned by some local authorities over fears about its toxicity.

Back in August 2019, Medway Council conducted an investigation into the use of weed killers, after pet owners voiced their fears.

In September, a Sittingbourne resident warned other dog owners after he noticed the substance being sprayed by a man on a mini tractor outside his house.

His dog had previously suffered from sore and damaged skin after walking past someone spraying.

Director of Maidstone's Pennard Vets, Caroline Collins, commented: "We have not seen a rise in glyphosate poisoning recently and across our group of practices we are fortunate only to see one or two cases a year.

"The most common signs of ingestion are vomiting, going off food and lethargy/being quieter which are quite non-specific signs and can be due to many causes.

"At higher levels of ingestion diarrhoea, tremors and dilated pupils can occur which is more concerning and specific to toxicity. If breathing difficulties occur along with this, it is very serious and can sadly be fatal.

"Cats tend to ingest secondarily by grooming it off their fur after walking over areas treated whilst they are damp, and less commonly by eating treated plants, licking up spills or from spray drift.

"So cleaning it from their coat and fur helps to decontaminate them, and vets can need to give fluids to support cats that are unwell, as well as medication."

HML has been contacted for a comment.