The RSPCA is urging people to seek help and not abandon their animals after four kittens were found in a soggy cardboard box on one of the coldest and wettest days of the year so far in Leeds.
A member of the public contacted the animal welfare charity after the animals were found outside a house in Raincliffe Terrace at about 12.30pm last Thursday (9 March).
The three black female kittens have been named Dusty, Dolly and Debby and are believed to be no more than seven weeks old. The ginger and white male kitten is approximately four to five months old and has been named Adam.
All of them were unharmed but understandably cold and frightened by what had happened to them. They are currently in RSPCA foster care and will be available for rehoming in due course.
The incident comes as alarming figures show that the charity’s officers dealt with 1,324 incidents of animals being abandoned last month and a further 1,529 in January. It’s believed the cost of living crisis, coupled with the expected financial pressures on pet owners during the festive season, may have led to the upsurge.
RSPCA animal rescue officer David Holgate attended the property to collect the cats, who were later checked over by a vet and placed into the care of a local RSPCA branch.
He said: “It was wet, cold and thoroughly miserable at the time. The box they’d been left in was soaked through, so it must have been a very unpleasant and bewildering experience for them. They could also have escaped and become injured, so leaving them like this put them in a very vulnerable position.
“Abandoning animals is never the answer and we’d urge anyone who is struggling to look after their pets – at what is a very difficult economic time for many people – to seek advice and support.
“Incidents like this also highlight the importance of getting your cat neutered. Kittens are lovely to look at but they can also be hard work, time consuming and costly. The RSPCA and other cat and veterinary organisations strongly advocate neutering cats from four months old before they can become pregnant to avoid unwanted litters.”
With the increase in pet ownership and the cost of living crisis putting a strain on people’s finances, the RSPCA is seeing an increase in rescued animals coming into the charity’s care at a time when rehoming has slowed.
For pet owners who are worried about the cost of living crisis, the RSPCA has opened a telephone helpline to support callers and a dedicated cost of living hub with practical help and advice.
