ANOTHER cat has died as a recent spate of poisoning incidents in Southend continues.

Earlier this month, the Echo reported how Elena Smith, 47, lost her beloved black cat Sooty after he ate what vets believe to be a toxic substance.

Cat lover Mark Bush is now warning other owners after his three-year-old moggy Tigger died in a similar way.

Mr Bush, of Oban Road, said: “He is only young and he liked to go outside during the day,.

“When he came in that night, I noticed something wasn’t quite right with him.

“He was really wobbly on his feet and asked to go back out.

“He started foaming at the mouth.

“At one point it was like he couldn’t remember who we were.

“He was hissing at everything.”

Mr Bush, 33, rushed the ginger cat to the vets.

However, he sadly died just as they were being called in to be seen by the vet.

The vet told him it looked as though the feline had been poisoned.

Office administrator Mr Bush decided not to carry out a toxicology report to find out the cause, thinking it was an isolated incident.

However, he recently saw the posters Mrs Smith had put up around the area warning people that two cats had died from poisoning.

Oddly, Mr Bush said that one of the posters has recently been taken down and is concerned whoever wanted to poison the felines could have done it.

He is keen to urge people in the Oban Road, Stromness Road and Stromness Place areas to keep an eye on their cats and take them to the vet as soon as there is any sign there might be something wrong.

He had owned the cat since he was a kitten and is heartbroken by the loss.

Mr Bush said: “It is awful that someone could do that to a cat.

“It seems to be quite a big issue at the moment in Southend.

“It was really upsetting to see him going through that.

“He was my youngest cat.

“It is good that the posters have been put up to warn people - it is nice that someone has done that.”

He said he is at a loss as to why someone would put poisoned food down.

“I don’t know why they would do this,” Mr Bush said.

“Maybe they put something down to stop the foxes and the cats have eaten it instead?

“It could be rat poison or antifreeze that has poisoned them.

“I have three other cats and I am now worried about them, although they are older and a bit more sensible so hopefully they wouldn’t eat anything.

“It is also dangerous if someone is leaving poisoned food around for the cats to eat.

“It could definitely kill a child if they ate it, or foxes and other wildlife.”

He added that Tigger had been best friends with one of his other cats, who is now missing his playmate.

Oliver Duprey, branch partner at Medivet, Eastwoodbury Lane, Southend, has previously confirmed the string of suspicious incidents.

Essex Police has said there is nothing to suggest a deliberate or criminal intent.