Eight vulnerable kittens are looking for homes after they were dumped by their heartless owners in two separate incidents over the weekend – in a bin and a bramble bush.
Officers from the RSPCA first found three kittens dumped in a shoe-box by some bins.
Just two days later, five more two-day-old kittens were found in a carrier bag that had been thrown into a bramble bush.
The first group were found in north London, are thought to be around five weeks old and were found by a passer-by Haringey, north London.
Due to the shoe-box in which they were found, they have been named Nike, Puma and Adidas.
RSPCA veterinary director for London Caroline Allen said they had made a good recovery from their ordeal.
She said: “Luckily this sporty trio were found just in time.
“They were riddled with fleas but otherwise in good health – but at that age the kittens would not have survived out on their own like that, just dumped by the rubbish with the bins.
“I can’t stress enough the importance of getting your cat neutered at the earliest opportunity.
“It is impossible to know for sure why these kittens were dumped, but we see many kittens abandoned because of accidental breeding and numbers of cats escalating and getting out of control.
“It is a myth that it is best for a female cat to be allowed to have one litter of kittens.
“The health and safety of both male and female cats is best safeguarded by neutering at four months of age, and also reduces the risk of disease.”
RSPCA inspector Nick Wheelhouse, investigating the second dumping in South Norwood, south London, said: “A passer-by happened upon these tiny little kittens in a bramble bush by pure chance.
“She said she heard movement and tiny miaows, then looked into the bush and saw the plastic bag moving and squeaking, and knew there were kittens inside.
“She couldn’t reach them so had to come back with hedgecutters in order to get into the bush to reach and rescue them.
“We don’t know how these little animals got so deeply stuck into this bush.
“It was near a tram stop, and tram lines, so potentially someone who was either about to get on a tram or had just got off.
“They were so deep inside the bush that I suspect someone had thrown them with some force.
“The baby cats are very lucky to have been found – at that age there is no way they would have survived in such a spot on their own.
“As it is they are too young to be without their mum, and are having to be hand-reared by volunteers.
“They are just tiny little balls of fluff – completely vulnerable and in need of care.
“We urge anyone who saw anything suspicious at all to call us.”
Anyone with any information about how any of the kittens came to be dumped should call the RSPCA.
The kittens are all too young to be rehomed yet, but it is thought they will eventually be found loving new homes.
