A CAT and her young kitten were abandoned in the bushes outside Newport Animal Centre on Saturday night.

A passer-by spotted a pet carrier near the Hartridge Farm Road centre at about 9pm on Saturday and found the two cats inside when they went to investigate.

The mother, thought to be about two years old, and her tortoiseshell kitten, who is thought to be around 12 weeks old, have been taken into the centre and are now recovering in the care of the RSPCA.

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Neither of the cats were microchipped.  

The mum will be neutered during her stay at the centre. An RSPCA spokesperson said that neutering can help tackle the overpopulation crisis and avoid putting extra strain on rescue centres. Kittens can get pregnant from just four months old and there may be a longer wait than usual at some vet practices due to the pandemic. 

The RSPCA reported that the mother is already responding well, however, her kitten is much more nervous. The cats’ carers are confident that both of them will make a full recovery and go on to find loving new homes.

Animal rescuer, inspector Christine McNeil said: “It’s a very sad case as it’s more than likely that mum and her kitten were once part of someone’s family. 

“We understand that people’s lives can change, but leaving animals in these circumstances is never the right thing to do, especially when there are many animal welfare organisations who will offer support and help with rehoming.

“Someone out there must know who owned these lovely cats and we would  urge anyone with further information to please come forward and call our appeals line on 0300 123 8018.” 

Last year, the RSPCA rehomed 17,868 cats – the equivalent of 53-per-day or two cats rehomed every hour.

The charity’s centres and branches have also seen nearly 3,000 cats coming into the RSPCA’s care in 2021, up to the end of August.