Inquiry after cats left for dead in boxes

RSPCA inspectors are investigating after two cats were found dumped in sealed-up boxes.

The cat and kitten were discovered in a back garden, trapped inside cardboard boxes which had been closed up with parcel tape.

The animal rescue charity says there could have been dire consequences had the animals – dubbed Fish and Chips – not been spotted.

RSPCA inspector Julie Lyons said: "The boxes were tightly sealed and there was no way the cats could get out. It's disgraceful for anyone to abandon an animal in this manner.

"It is a criminal offence and we are investigating who is responsible. When you take on an animal you have a duty of care towards it."

The cats, which were found behind a house on Beverley Drive, in Bentilee, were in good health, leading inspectors to believe they had been dumped by someone who didn't want to look after them any more.

Mrs Lyons said: "They were both in good bodily condition, so they had obviously belonged to someone, but there was no collar or identification.

"I dread to think what would've happened to them if they hadn't been found when they were.

"People must seek help if they are struggling with a pet – abandoning an animal is never an option."

It is believed the tortoiseshell kitten and mainly white cat were dumped in the garden between 6.30am and 11.30am on Wednesday. They are now being cared for at the RSPCA cattery on Brookhouse Road, in Bucknall, where they have been named Fish and Chips because they were found in Frymax vegetable oil boxes. They will remain at the cattery while the RSPCA investigates their case, before being re-homed.

Less than 24 hours before they were found, the RSPCA picked up another kitten from the garden of a house on Leek Road in Bucknall.

The black female cat, thought to be four to six months old, had an injured leg and is believed to have been hit by a car.

Judith Haw, of the RSPCA Wales and West, which covers Stoke-on-Trent, said: "The kitten was wearing a multi-coloured flea collar so we believed she was owned by someone. She is being cared for by vets and we would appeal for the owner to come forward."

She added: "We get a lot of injured cats and very few are reunited with their owners because we have no way of identifying them."

The RSPCA North Staffordshire branch can be contacted on 01782 302539