Pond owners are being asked to take extra precautions after two cats drowned in similar circumstances.

The owners maintain a deep pond was left neglected and half empty in The Camp area of St Albans and because of its straight edges, their cats had little chance of escaping without help pulling them out.

Nico Campella and Jude Jones adopted kittens Cleo and Figaro in August last year. In February Cleo went missing and drowned in the pond. Nico said: “We were naturally horrified and extremely upset that this had happened, but we accepted that this was a freak accident.”

On Sunday, the couple found out that their second cat, Figaro, had also drowned in the same pond a few gardens down from theirs.

Nico added: “When we realised Figaro had gone missing, as a process of elimination, we went to the house to ask them to check their pond.

“When they answered the door it was confirmed that Figaro had met the same fate.”

They also learned that other cats in the area had almost drowned too but were saved by the pond’s owners.

The couple urged people to maintain their ponds properly in order to prevent such losses. Nico added: “A lot of people don’t know this can happen. Just be aware of your pond, it doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

“Make sure that if a pet does land in the pond, there is some way for them to get out.

“You can put a log or plank of wood on the pond, or make sure it is filled up with water. Give pets a fighting chance.”