Trio of Kittens Dumped in Shoebox

RSPCA is appealing for information as three-week-old cats were too young to survive without their mother

A trio of three-week-old kittens have been rescued after they were found dumped in a shoebox in the middle of a footpath in Burton upon Trent.

The little black kittens – now named Poppy, Pickle and Panda – were found by a member of the public in a Slazenger children’s trainer box from Sports Direct on Tower Road footpath, off Ashby Road at about 6pm on Sunday. (22 August)

The kind member of the public took the young kittens home and cared for them, feeding them special kitten formula until RSPCA inspector Pam Bird collected them.

Pam said: “The three black kittens were inside the closed shoe box which had been left in a very obvious place in the centre of the footpath.

“All of the kittens are too young to survive without their mother without the swift intervention and kindness of the passing person who found them, took them home and then called the RSPCA for help.

“She hand fed them overnight with special kitten milk formula and a syringe. I collected them the following day and they are now all in the care of a vet nurse.

“It is so sad as these little kittens are far too young to be without their mother – and to be abandoned like that when they needed help the most is just awful.

“We would really like to hear from anyone who has information about how these kittens got here and who might have left them in such a way. I would urge anyone with information to contact us as soon as possible on 0300 123 8018.

The kittens are just some of the animals to come into RSPCA care in the last couple of months. The charity revealed this week that on average four cats a day are the victims of deliberate cruelty across the summer months in England and Wales.

The RSPCA’s rescue teams need support to stay out on the frontline as the only charity rescuing animals and investigating cruelty:

• £5 could help towards a catnip mouse toy for cats in our care

• £10 could help pay towards bandages for a cat or dog;

• £15 could help pay for a cat or dog’s clinical exam.

To donate to the Cancel Out Cruelty campaign and help us continue to rescue animals in need, visit www.rspca.org.uk/stopcruelty.