Five kittens are recovering after being callously dumped in a cardboard box and left out for the rubbish.
The kittens which were suffering from the advanced stages of cat flu which meant their eyes were swollen and puffy, were found by a neighbour in Forest Row in the Broadwater area of Stevenage.
She contacted the Stevenage branch of Cats Protection and the kittens were rushed to Roebuck Vetinary Surgery in Stevenage for urgent treatment.
One of the kittens later died but the others have been nursed back to health and are now with a temporary foster carer. They will eventually be rehomed.
Bianca Kubler, the co-ordinator of the North Herts branch of Cats Protection, said she was appalled by the kittens’ treatment.
“The receptionist at the vets opened the box and found the kittens in an awful state.
“They couldn’t see, they’re eyes were so swollen and gunked up.
“It’s probably someone who noticed they were and were ashamed, so dumped them instead of taking them to the vets. You never know what the motivation is.
“One of the kittens died because it just couldn’t breathe any more.”
Bianca believes the kittens are from three different litters. Most are between three to six weeks old, with one kitten aged between four to five months. Some of them have health issues which Bianca says may stem from inbreeding.
Bianca added: “It really upset me. I haven’t seen that number before with such swollen eyes and respiratory problems.
“I’ve no idea why people do it. It’s ignorance. They think something bad is going on and they don’t want to take the blame.”
Bianca said Cats Protection offers a complete amnesty to anyone who has cats or kittens and doesn’t want to keep them or know how to look after them. Anyone who is in this situation should call the Stevenage branch on 01438 228877. She added: “Just do the right thing. Call our number and we will offer advice. Let us know because we can help.”
Cats Protection also offers a free neutering service for people on low incomes to halt excessive breeding.
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