the deaths of two cats in Pembroke, Government Veterinarian Dr. Neil Burnie said yesterday.

And two more cats owned by the same family near West Pembroke School on Bermuda's North Shore are missing and feared poisoned.

"Someone heartless'' is responsible, said Miss Rebecca Rebello, 15, the daughter of Michael and Sylvia Rebello of Tablerock Avenue.

She stayed home from Northlands Secondary School yesterday after her cats Spot and Pumpkin had to be put to sleep. "I was sick because I cried all yesterday and I cried myself to sleep,'' she said.

"I kept waking up and I couldn't sleep. I love my animals.'' Two other cats owned by the Rebello family -- Precious and Dusty -- are missing and feared poisoned. And Miss Rebello said the family has lost six pets to poisoning in the last ten years, and these cats will be her last.

"My daddy says he doesn't want to put any more cats through such pain,'' she said.

`We're not going to have any more cats,'' said Mrs. Sylvia Rebello. "You get too attached to them and then something like this happens.'' The family has no idea who is poisoning their cats, but "we know it has to be somebody close by,'' Mrs. Rebello said.

Pumpkin and Spot first showed signs of sickness on Sunday and had to be put to sleep by a veterinarian because their conditions continued to worsen, Dr.

Burnie said.

"Animal owners in that area are warned that it is believed all cases of paraquat poisoning to date in Bermuda, and there have unfortunately been several, are malevolent in nature and not accidental.

"I would encourage any animal owners to try to keep their animals confined to their properties, particularly in this area,'' said Dr. Burnie.

Paraquat, a herbicide, was until recently available to farmers through the Department of Agriculture.

Because it has been used to kill an estimated 30 dogs and many cats in the past dozen years, paraquat's import was banned in July and it has been replaced with another, less toxic herbicide called Rely.

Pockets of poisonings had occurred before, and "it has been suspected, although never proven, that an animal poisoner may have been responsible for more than one death,'' Dr. Burnie said. An animal exposed to paraquat will initially experience vomiting and possibly diarrhoea, he said. A strong enough dose will kill a pet, but it will more likely survive the initial toxic effects and develop a fatal lung problem.

The cats that were poisoned may not have been the targets of the poisonings, but "it's possible that somebody resents animals coming onto their property,'' he said.

Dr. Burnie said some people may wish to safely dispose of stocks of paraquat they obtained legally. They can do so by contacting Mr. Clarkston Trott at the Ministry of Works & Engineering's hazardous waste disposal services at 297-7857.

Dr. Neil Burnie