Deaths of 5 cats in one SR neighborhood probed

<p>Sonoma County animal control officers are investigating the deaths of five cats early this week from one west Santa Rosa neighborhood, including whether the pets were purposely poisoned.</p><p>County officers will test the animals to determine their cause of death, and the owners said officers took a partially eaten can of tuna found on the property of one of the victims for testing.</p><p>“We suspect they consumed something, we just don’t know whether it was intentional or unintentional,” said veteran animal control officer Bob Garcia. “We’re very interested to try and find out who would be doing something like that if it was deliberate.”</p><p>The cats were from three families living on Simpson Street. They all died within hours of each other, from Sunday night into Monday, said the owners.</p><p>“My kids found my little cat, Lucy Lou. She was drooling, panting. Her systems shut down,” said resident Jean Whalen.</p><p>“She died in my arms. About a half hour later, my white cat, Molly, started getting sick,” Whalen said.</p><p>Whalen took the cat to a nearby veterinary center, but it was too ill to be helped and was euthanized, she said.</p><p>Hours later, another neighbor said she’d found her cat Strawberry dead in the back yard and another, Patches, suffering horribly on the front porch. Patches died, too.</p><p>At a third home, Piglet the cat became sick and died, said owner Tammy Wenderoth.</p><p>“It was horrible,” said Wenderoth, who is head of the neighborhood’s homeowners association with her husband Todd Wenderoth. “I guess he went out and found that can of tuna and decided to have a last meal.”</p><p>When the first cat became sick, Whalen figured the pet had gotten into something in the garage. When more cats fell ill and died, the neighbors called police.</p><p>A search of their properties turned up what looked like piles of tuna in vomit and the partially empty tuna can under a bush, neighbors said.</p><p>The can and vomit had a strong chemical odor, Wenderoth said.</p><p>The grieving owners believe it was an intentional act, suspecting someone put something into the tuna. But they can’t understand why anyone would do it.</p><p>“I know to some people animals are animals,” said Whalen. “To my kids and I and both of our neighbors, these are our families. Whoever did this didn’t just kill an animal, they literally killed our family member. And devastated our kids.” </p><p>Animal control officer Garcia said a county veterinarian will do necropsies (animal autopsies) on the cats. Tissue samples will be taken and tested. </p><p>“We do get cases where an animal is found (dead) and a substance was thrown into their yard. But it is rare,” Garcia said. “It’s unusual to have this many cats involved.”</p><p>Garcia asked anyone with information about the deaths to contact officers at 565-7100.</p><p>You can reach Staff Writer Randi Rossmann at 521-5254 or randi.rossmann@pressdemocrat.com.</p>