Rescuer recommends activated charcoal to save poisoned cats

An animal activist has recommended the use of activated charcoal - commonly consumed by humans in the form of a pill - as an emergency first response for cats suspected of being poisoned.

Mohd Rosli Mohd Ariffin, who runs an animal rescue group based in Pantai Dalam, Kuala Lumpur, told Malaysiakini this was based on his own personal experience dealing with strays including cats.

“If you find a cat with signs of poisoning, identify the nearest vet, and when possible get the charcoal pills.

“The pills are the ones commonly sold in pharmacies. That is the basic treatment before going to a vet,” said Rosli, known to his followers on TikTok and the rescue community as “Dady Oyen”.

“Signs that a cat that has been poisoned include foaming at the mouth.

“You need to insert the charcoal pill into the cat’s mouth and make sure that it swallows,” he said when contacted yesterday.

However, he added that a cat found to be foaming at the mouth could also be suffering from “parvo virus” instead of being poisoned.

Rosli said this when asked for comments on a report by online portal Free Malaysia Today that a cat owner was left devastated after her pet and its four other strays were found dead, believed to be poisoned, at the compound of a block of flats in Desa Pandan on Saturday.

FMT quoted the cat’s owner, Al Farrah Sherrina Zulkiflie, as saying that “Yogi”, a domestic long-hair breed, had 31,200 followers on TikTok.

Farrah claimed that at least 10 cats in her area, including Yogi, had been found dead due to poisoning from an unidentified substance.

‘Request to see CCTVs’

Commenting further, Rosli said affected owners or animal lovers should request to view any nearby close circuited camera footage to try to identify the perpetrators involved.

“If found guilty, the perpetrator can be charged under the Animal Welfare Act 2015.

“At the same time, owners should also exercise more caution and prevent their pets from roaming without supervision,” he said.

Upon conviction on a charge of causing any poisonous or injurious drug or substance to be taken by any animal, Section 31 of the Act provides for a fine of not less than RM20,000 and not more than RM100,000 or imprisonment for a term not more than three years, or both. - Mkini