FEARS are growing that someone with a sickening vendetta against family cats is deliberately poisoning them to death.

So far five pets have died of suspected poisoning, one fell seriously ill and another is missing.

The incidents, which have led the RSPCA to investigate, have all taken place in just two neighbouring streets.

Residents worried about their children playing outside because of the potential toxic dangers have also informed police, who are monitoring the situation.

RSPCA inquiries are focusing on Sissinghurst Close and Hurst Green Road in Weston, Southampton.

Mother-of-three Helen Matthews, 35, of Hurst Green Road, whose kittens Tiger and Lily were the first to be struck down, said: "There are a lot of children around here and they could pick something up when they are playing. We don't know what it is or what it could do to them. It's just not right."

Michelle Robinson, 26, of Sissinghurst Close, who owned three cats, said: "If kids get hold of this stuff it is very toxic and is probably more than likely to hospitalise a child."

The mother-of-two is trying to keep her remaining healthy cat Penny indoors but one-year-old Star is dangerously ill at the PDSA centre, Mount Pleasant Road, Southampton, and her third pet, seven-year-old Chester, has not been spotted for three weeks.

Miss Robinson rushed Star to the vet at the first onset of the symptoms. She said: "It was as though he was drunk and I thought 'oh no, this is it'. He started having spasms in front of me and just deteriorated rapidly. The vet doesn't know what poison it could be but it must be very toxic as it kills the kidneys.

"We think someone may be spraying them with something or laying down powder for them. It's scary.

"I'm upset for my children. Star belongs to my eldest daughter Amy, who's five. She picked him and named him."

Elena Johnson, veterinary surgeon at the PDSA surgery, said there was a "serious possibility" that Lily and Star had been poisoned but the substance was unknown.

In the past month a stray cat has also been found dead on a driveway and two other residents, who asked not to be named, have lost their pets to the mystery poisonings.

One angry resident said: "Even if you don't like animals you don't set out to harm them. This is sheer cruelty."

A spokesman for the RSPCA said: "We have launched an investigation into this.

"We have had incidents before where pets have been poisoned and in some cases it can be done maliciously or in others it can be where someone has put out something like slug pellets."

Police beat officer for Weston, WPc Theresa Hunt, explained that she was monitoring the situation after becoming aware that several cats had died from similar symptoms.

She said: "Unfortunately all the cats that have died so far have been buried without a veterinary post mortem, so we are unable to work out why the cats have died.

"But, we are working with the RSPCA and the residents association to find out what is happening."

Anyone with information is urged to call the RSPCA on 08705 555999.