SIR — Our 16-year-old much loved ginger cat was killed by neighbours' kindness. He was suffering from an over-active thyroid and had for the last three months been receiving treatment from the vets in the form of a strictly controlled diet and medication twice a day. For some reason unknown to us, neighbours took it upon themselves to start feeding him. Over the course of a week, when we did see him he wouldn't touch his food and consequently getting any medication into him became virtually impossible. For two days we did not see him and, sick with worry, we searched everywhere we could think of until very sadly we found him dead in the neighbours' shed. Any relief at finding him was quickly over shadowed by the fact that he was surrounded by all sorts of foods he was not allowed to have that they had been leaving out for him. We had no idea they were doing this but it explained why he wasn't eating at home. Uncontrolled, an over-active thyroid has disasterous effects on the heart, increasing heart rate and eventually, as in this case, causing heart failure. Writing this letter will not bring back our beloved cat but please, if you are ever tempted to feed someone else's animal, however hungry they may appear, if you can't talk to your neighbours about what you are doing then please don't do it. We really don't want the sadness we are feeling at the moment about the unnecessary death of a much loved animal to be repeated. Jackie Fry, Higher Allerford.