Thanet animal charity Cats in Crisis is appealing to people to get their cats neutered after being called to a cat and five kittens that were caught up by their umbilical cords and ivy and covered in fly eggs.
Cats in Crisis volunteer Linda Smith attended a home in Ramsgate last week after the mum and babies were discovered in the back garden.
Linda, who has volunteered with the charity for six years, said: “The lady’s dog was barking and when she went to have a look she saw the mum cat and kittens quite high up on a wall at the back of a flowerbed, all enmeshed in ivy,
“My husband had to cut back all the ivy to get to them. The mum must have been terrified with her kittens all tied up in it.”
The cat and kittens were taken to Dafne vets. Sadly one kitten had to be put to sleep due to its injuries and one will need a back leg amputated due to the cord cutting off circulation. A second kitten has also died after ‘fading away.’
Linda is looking after one-year-old Hettie, the mother cat, and the three remaining kittens until they are well enough for the injured kitten to have surgery and for the others. to be rehomed.
Linda said: “The leg cannot be saved but the kitten is a little fighter and feeding well from mum.
“Hettie is very sweet. She is very tired from her ordeal but is a good mum. It must have been terrible watching her kittens all tangled up and crying when she could do nothing to save them.”
Cats in Crisis is urging people to get their cats neutered.
Linda said: “The message we want to get across is for people to have their cats neutered. Rescues have been saying this for years but there are still cats and kittens out there suffering and some dying horrible deaths from injuries due to fighting or from disease.
“Pregnant abandoned females find themselves all alone, giving birth outside, under a hedge or wherever they can find a safe place. This female was one of the lucky ones because she was found but many are not so lucky.
“It is little babies like these who are paying the price for people who don’t care or can’t be bothered to get their cats neutered.”
For low-cost cat neutering assistance in Thanet Cats Protection which may have limited vouchers available – phone them on 01227 360432
Cats in Crisis Thanet may also offer neutering assistance, call 01843 581556
Missing Cats and Strays in Thanet also runs neutering clinic days in partnership with vets 2 u at reduced prices. https://www.facebook.com/MissingCatsAndStraysInThanet
Another idiot who didn’t get their cat spayed………
We want to make this the start of a big campaign to make it mandatory to have all cats neutered by the time they are a year old unless owners are REGISTERED breeders. All rescues are overfull with unwanted cats and kittens and there are thousands of them living rough and in feral colonies. Many suffer terribly..please this needs to stop