A young mum cat and her six kittens were found dumped in a taped up cardboard box which was then left discarded in a street in Oldham.
The RSPCA was contacted on Sunday, April 2 by a member of the public, who found the box – which they believed to contain just one cat – on the pavement outside their home in Netherhouse Road in Shaw.
RSPCA inspector Rachel Whalley rushed to the scene to collect the cat and when she opened the box at a nearby vets she was shocked to also find six kittens inside.
The mum and her three-week-old babies are now doing well in the care of the RSPCA Manchester and Salford branch. Now Rachel is appealing for information to find out who dumped them.
Rachel said: “The mum cat is young and probably only about a year old herself and her kittens we believe are around three weeks old. They were all obviously frightened but otherwise appeared in good health.
“It seems someone has dumped them in this box which was shut with sticky tape and air holes were left in the top. They were then just left in the street in a very vulnerable position.
“The box could have easily been mistaken for rubbish or a vehicle could have run over the box. It is sad to think what could have happened to them if they hadn’t been found.
“They were in an Asda box which contained a George microwave so I am appealing for anyone who saw someone with this distinctive box to get in touch. I am also appealing to anyone in the local area to check their CCTV to help this investigation.
“It is never acceptable to abandon an animal. If you have a pet and are struggling to cope there is help out there with many charities on hand – the last thing you should do is dump them.”
Susie Hughes, manager at the branch, said: “The kittens are doing well in our care. There are three black and white male cats and three tabby female cats. Their young mum is lovely and I believe she was only very young when she was pregnant.
“This shows the importance of neutering cats as females are capable of getting pregnant from just four months old and this leads to unwanted kittens – which is probably what happened in this case.”
RSPCA officers are responding to an increasing number of abandoned pets as the cost of living crisis continues to bite – but the animal welfare charity has warned the public this is never the answer.
Last month, the RSPCA received 1,324 reports of abandoned animals – up 8% from February 2022.
The cost of living crisis is the singlest biggest challenge for animal welfare right now. To help pet-owners who are worrying about financial costs, there is information on the RSPCA’s cost of living hub. Alternatively, you can call the charity’s dedicated cost of living call line on 0300 123 0650.
Susie added that the cost to the branch, which is funded independently of the national RSPCA, will be around £15 a day for the family of seven for food and litter and medical treatment. She is appealing for donations to help her team continue to rehabilitate and rehome animals in need.
She added: “The cost of pet food and running costs of the centre have gone up significantly over the past year – and due to the cost of living crisis we have seen donations dry up at a time when we need financial help the most.
“If anyone can support us to continue our vital work we would be grateful. We are always in need of cat food donations too so people can help in other ways.”
If you can help the branch you can also purchase from their Amazon wish list here
