The Gillingham branch of Pets at Home and other company stores have recalled a number of dry cat food products after they were found to have caused ‘sudden collapse, fitting, widespread twitching and general unsteadiness’.

The four products concerned are: AVA Adult Cat Indoor / Neutered 1.5kg, AVA Senior Cat Chicken 2kg, AVA Mature Cat Chicken 2kg and AVA Mature Cat Chicken 4kg.

Anyone who has bought these products is advised not to feed them to their pets but instead to dispose of the food and return the packaging to the store for a full refund.

A spokesman for Pets at Home said: ‘An investigation has revealed that, in the four affected products, the level of thiamine (vitamin B1) was much lower than we had specified. Testing confirmed only these four products are affected.

‘We are aware of three cats which, sadly, became seriously unwell four to six weeks after switching to one of the affected products and required veterinary care. All three cats exhibited symptoms of sudden collapse, fitting, widespread twitching and general unsteadiness which are not the classic symptoms of thiamine deficiency.’

The spokesman added: ‘This was a national recall so the notices will be posted in our Gillingham store.’

The government’s Food Standards Agency said: ‘Your cat should not eat affected product batches’ It added: ‘If you have concerns that your cat may be showing any of these symptoms after switching to one of the four affected products then you should stop feeding and seek immediate veterinary advice. You can also contact one of Pets At Home customer advisers on 0800 328 4204 for general advice.’