Southampton man’s cat doused in 'diesel' as vets issue warning

Jake Paul was greeted with a strong smell of diesel when his one-year-old cat Bella walked through the door.

The 26-year-old from Woolston said she was “drenched head to toe”.

Bella, a black and white British short hair, is described as an anxious cat by Jake and his partner Rebecca Jones.

They are both confused as to how the incident happened.

Bella after being doused in petrol (Image: Jake Paul) He said: “As Bella came through the door we smelled her instantly; she was drenched head to tail in what we could only describe as oil but smelt like diesel.

“We were really shocked and confused on how she could have got like this.

“She is quite anxious, so we feel she would not go anywhere that would enable her to be covered, such as a car hood.”

Following the incident on October 1, a warning was issued to owners by a veterinary practice in Hedge End.

Vets4Pets said two cats – including Bella – were brought into their care within five days of each other.

Bella was taken to the vets when she became lethargic and was not eating in the days after the incident.

Bella before the incident (Image: Jake Paul) Jake said: “We did not want to think someone could have done this, but there have been previous social media posts about our cat going in gardens. So, we did wonder if this may have been deliberate.

“We took her to the vets and was told that she needed to be sedated and shaved to reduce the risk of poisoning.

“The vets described Bella to be ‘pussing’ under her fur and extremely sore.

“She has been on two lots of antibiotics and is slowly returning back to her normal self.”

In a post on Facebook, Vets4Pets told cat owners to "be vigilant".

They said: "If you have any concerns regarding your cat, please give your local veterinary practice a call.”