A box of kittens was found dumped at the end of the driveway of an RSPCA centre in Surrey.
A cardboard box with a note taped on top – saying: ‘Please help them! They were born on 24/08. God bless you.’ – was left at the end of the driveway of RSPCA Millbrook Animal Centre in Chobham on Friday morning (2 September).
Inside were five nine-day-old kittens curled up in a fleece jacket. Staff at the centre are now hand-rearing the kittens, who need feeding round-the-clock.
Millbrook deputy manager Liz Wood said: “When we found the kittens we brought them into the centre to check them over. They’d clearly just been taken from their mum as their tummies were full of milk.
“They are covered in fleas and are clearly very vulnerable being away from their mum at such a young age so we’ll be keeping a close eye on them and doing our best to hand-rear them all which isn’t an easy task, especially at a time when the centre is full of animals who all need our attention.”
It comes as the RSPCA’s centres across England and Wales report being full due to an increasing demand for rescue spaces. New figures released by the charity also show the number of animals being abandoned – like these cats – has risen a worrying 17% from 2020 to 2021, with a further increase of 24% in the first part of 2022 which is why it has launched its Cancel Out Cruelty campaign to raise funds to help animals in desperate need.
Liz added: “Unfortunately we see lots of kittens coming into our care because they were unplanned litters and their owners simply can’t take care of them. We would urge cat owners to get their pets neutered to avoid situations like this.
“We’d also plead with people who are struggling to ask for help; don’t be embarrassed or ashamed. These are difficult times and there are lots of resources out there to help anyone who is struggling.
“It is never acceptable to abandon pets like this – especially such vulnerable babies – and although we understand why someone would leave animals with us, we’re stretched to the limits right now and just don’t have the space to take animals in if they’re left on our doorstep.”
The animal welfare charity has seen an increase in the number of dogs, cats and rabbits coming into its care while its Animal Kindness Index found 68% of people were concerned that the cost of care was increasing and 19% were worried about how they’ll afford to feed their pets.
Visit the RSPCA website for advice about how to save money while still taking care of your pet or for information about giving up a pet.
To help the RSPCA rescue more abandoned animals and support the charity as it attempts to crackdown on cruelty this summer please donate by visiting Cancel Out Cruelty online.
