Pet cat dies after snake bite

A LOCAL resident wants to warn pet owners of a slithery problem in Casey after her family’s beloved cat was killed by a snake this week.
Cranbourne mother Christina Mammino said their pet cat George died on the weekend after it was bitten by a snake in their backyard about two weeks ago.
Ms Mammino, who lives in The Hunt Club, said she wanted to warn others about the problem so they too won’t have a tragic death.
“We live in suburbia,” she said.
“You think snakes are only in rural areas or on big properties, not in small backyards.
“But people in estates need to realise they can be close to home as well.
“It’s scary as my kids always play in the backyard.”
Ms Mammino said her husband and four boys were devastated by George’s death.
She said doesn’t want other families to go through the same thing.
“Be more vigilant and keep your cats and pets in particularly at sunset time,” she said.
“When they are out, it’s best to check your backyard first.
“Also make sure your lawns are mowed and backyard is kept tidy as well.”
George was bitten by a snake almost two weeks before it died.
“He got sick slowly, but never too bad,” Ms Mammino said.
“Tests have shown that it was a snake that caused.
“He was a big fat cat, so that’s probably why it took so long for him to feel the effects.”
Associate Vet at Casey and Cranbourne Veterinary Hospital Emma Bakker said snake bites were a common problem this time of year.
“Summer is always a bad time for snakes,” she said.
“We have had five pets come to us with snake bites in the past month, three cats and two dogs.”
Ms Bakker said the best thing pet owners could do was get their pet to a vet as soon as possible.
“The earlier we can detect it, the better chance they have of surviving,” she said.
“The quicker we can give them anti-venom, less damage is done.”
Ms Bakker said symptoms to look for in pets were collapsing, vomiting and just being weak and off-colour.
“With cats, they don’t initially start vomiting or collapsing, so just look for smaller signs,” she said.