Vets are urging pet owners to get their cats vaccinated following an outbreak of a killer virus in Bradford.

At one cat rescue centre in the city, the virus has claimed the lives of more than 20 cats in the past month and vets say the situation could get worse if action is not taken.

Vet Terry Croud, partner at the Gatehouse Veterinary Hospital, Allerton, said the number of cases of feline enteritis he had seen was worrying.

He said: "Certainly there are cats dropping like nine pins."

The disease causes high temperature, vomiting, diarrhoea and the cat eventually dies from dehydration.

Mr Croud said enteritis used to be unheard of but a large non-vaccinated population of cats was susceptible to infection.

"There is no cure," he said. "You can't give antibiotics because they don't work on viral infections. You just have to treat the symptoms and that is expensive. It is cheaper to have the vaccination."

And vets from the Thornbury Veterinary Group advised all cat owners to get their pets vaccinated.

"We have not noticed a big increase in the number of cases of feline enteritis but it is a nasty disease and prevention really is better than cure, because there isn't one," said a spokesman.

Volunteer Brenda Satterley, who helps run Cat Rescue in Prune Park Lane, Allerton, said: "I have been here for 25 years and this is the worst thing we have seen. We have lost 20 cats in the past month and it is heart-breaking.

"The disease spreads very quickly and the younger cats and kittens have no chance, though we have also had grown cats die from it."

The centre is facing vets' bills of around £600 per week.

Audrey Hargreaves, co-ordinator of the Wharfe Valley branch of the Cat Protection League, said: "We haven't noticed a problem here but we know there is a huge problem in Bradford.