Killer shrimp ‘did not blind cat’
Tuesday 16th August 2011, 11:29AM BST.
Fears a killer shrimp sweeping Britain had reached Telford were allayed this afternoon by Government experts.
Betty Evans feared her pet cat had been blinded after drinking from a pool infested with the shrimp.
But the Environment Agency this afternoon revealed the bug in Mrs Evan’s garden was a hoglouse rather than the invasive eastern European shrimp Betty first feared.
Betty took her nine-year-old cat Blossom to the vets when she noticed its eyes had gone bloodshot after it drank from the pool.
Despite a vet operating on the cat, Blossom is now completely blind.
Miss Evans thought the bug in the pool might have been the so-called killer shrimp which is native to Eastern Europe but has now made its way into the UK.
But Serena Balsdon, spokeswoman for the Environment Agency, said an examination
of the bug revealed it was in fact a Hoglouse, essentially an aquatic woodlouse which was
put in her garden pool in Wildwood, Woodside, by some young children who collected
them on a fishing trip to a nearby stream.
The 58-year-old said when her other cat started having problems with its eyesight,
she thought it could have been down to the rare shrimp species.
Most Commented
- Clampdown on Shrewsbury chuggers
- Bishop's gay marriage views do nothing to support bible teachings
- Planners ordered to stay on Newport visit bus
- Letter: Angered by close encounter of the furred kind
- Letter: Alcohol price plans annoy me
- Shrewsbury’s broadband speed one of slowest in UK
- Letter: No sense in overseas job adverts
Shropshire Star on Twitter
Keep updated with the latest breaking news and content on our Twitter feed.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Shropshire Star and Express & Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
Entertainment
All the film reviews
Before you plan a trip to the pictures, get our critics' verdicts on all the latest movie releases.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new Shropshire Star app
Download the Shropshire Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
shropshirestar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
