Cat owner prosecuted by RSPCA for giving cat paracetamol
Mrs Pritchard's cat, Midnight, died after the owner administered paracetamol in a bid to ease the pain of an injured leg.
The RSPCA brought the case after the owner's daughter called to ask for advice when the cat became increasingly ill. Graham Hammond, a spokesperson for the charity said:
'A cat cannot digest paracetamol the same way a human can because it doesn't have the enzyme that is required.
Mrs Pritchard's argument was that she thought that's what you did with cats because she had seen her mother do it as a child, but that could have been cat medicine.
At the time she didn’t know she had done wrong, but she didn’t take the cat to the vets in the first place'.
The owner was charged under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 and pleaded guilty to causing unnecessary suffering to an animal. She was given a two year conditional discharge by magistrates and has not been imposed with a ban on keeping animals.
Mrs Pritchard has since commented that she feels persecuted by the RSPCA, and indeed the incident has sparked much debate:
'I think generally the RSPCA do a great job, but they will persecute and harass you if they think you have done wrong'
Two independent vets have launched a podcast to help owners strengthen their bond with pets. Dr Maggie Roberts and Dr Vanessa Howie, who have worked in both veterinary practice and major charities, are keen to use their experience to enable people to give pets a better life.
