Seven tiny kittens that were left abandoned and taped up in a cardboard box on Marlborough Road have been taken in by the Isle of Wight's Cats Protection Centre.
Staff say they are lucky to be alive after being abandoned without their mothers at an age when they would normally still rely on them for nourishment.
Scroll for pictures of the cats...
The kittens appear to be from two different litters, three were thought to be around five weeks old and the other four were thought to be four weeks old.
They were vulnerable to dehydration and starvation with a high chance that they would have died if they hadn’t been found.
Staff have named the three largest kittens were named Oscar, Joey and Aurora while the smaller ones were called Lola, Chloe, Noah and Trev.
Cat care assistant and receptionist, Lauren Smith, said:
“The kittens were underweight when they arrived and we worked really hard to hand feed them every couple of hours to get them up to their ideal weights. For the first few days we weren’t sure they would survive. Little Lola was a particular worry; she didn’t have an appetite and was very lethargic, after a vet visit we found out she was so dehydrated that she needed drip-fed fluids as well as hourly feeds. Oscar has also been very poorly and needed blood tests to rule out anything sinister but luckily they came back clear.”
Now that the kittens are around nine and ten weeks’ old, they are enjoying solid kitten food, have learned to use litter trays and are starting to play with help and guidance from the centre’s staff.
Lauren adds:
“We prepare for an influx of kittens each year from the end of April onwards but it was still a shock to find these tiny souls abandoned outside the centre. We know it’s extremely difficult if people find themselves dealing with an unexpected litter but would urge people to get in touch and arrange a time to bring unwanted cats or kittens to us rather than leaving them outside.
“In this situation we could have supported the kittens’ owner to ensure the mother cats were neutered so that they don’t have other unwanted litters and would very much like to hear from the owner now if they would like assistance.”
The centre is appealing for donations for both kitten and adult food, as well as pellet-style litter, to help them continue caring for the kittens.
Although the centre is closed owing to social distancing restrictions, staff are still on-site and donations can be left at the drop-off point outside the main gate.
Alternatively, items from the centre’s Amazon wish-list bit.ly/IsleOfWightCP can be delivered directly.
For further information about the centre visit www.cats.org.uk/isleofwight.
For cat-related assistance during the Covid-19 outbreak call 03000 12 12 12.
Reaction To Donna Jones Police And Crime Commissioner Re-Election
New Dementia Hub To Open In Cowes Next Week
Armed Forces Covenant Members Supporting Armed Forces Day
Miriam Margolyes, Aggers And Tuffers And Plastic Mermaids To Headline Wight Proms 2024
Isle Of Wight Shoppers Helping To Tackle Rising Levels Of Hygiene Poverty
Two Isle Of Wight Businesses Win At Annual Muddy Stiletto Awards
Sandown Carnival Launches 2024 Season
Dover Park Primary School Celebrates Continued Success With Glowing Ofsted Report
Rescue Services Join RNLI’s 200th Celebration Event At Cowes
Isle Of Wight Council To Move To Committee System In 2025
Highway Improvement At Church Litten Next Week
Isle Of Wight Beaches Praised In Clean Water League Table
Man Arrested After Being Caught During Act Of Self-Gratification In Newport
May Day Bank Holiday Recycling And Waste Collection Information
Isle Of Wight Ambulance Service Star Louise Awarded King’s Ambulance Medal
Stranded RIB Towed To Safety By Cowes Lifeboat
Major Highway Works Taking Place Across Isle Of Wight This Month
Three Men Arrested On Suspicion Of 'Attempting To Take Child'
Wildheart Animal Sanctuary Rescue To Bring First Bears To Isle Of Wight For 30 Years
One Week To Go Until Isle Of Wight Walking Festival 25th Anniversary
