Animal lover's dilemma over dumped kittens (From Wharfedale Observer)

Cat and 22 kittens dumped in Yeadon

8:52am Thursday 8th September 2011 in News

An adult cat and 22 kittens were dumped outside a house in Yeadon.

Alexia Smethurst said she lives in a secluded area and believes that was why her home was targeted.

She explained that she had approached a woman outside her home who was holding three cat baskets.

She said: “The woman claimed she was trying to collect the kittens from my drive to take to a friend running a cat rescue. She helped me put them into the carriers and then promptly left, telling me to call her to arrange collection.

“One number I was given is dead and the other switches to answer machine.

“The kittens were all poorly and sadly two died. I took them to the vet, called the RSPCA passing on information about the woman, and then tried to find somewhere able to take the animals.”

She said she turned to Haworth Cat Rescue, a charity based in Cross Roads near Keighley, because she could find nowhere in the Leeds area able to help.

She added: “There are few rescue centres in the area and if Haworth Cat Rescue had not re-arranged their pens to accommodate the kittens, I don’t know what I’d have done.

“None of the big charities would help, and in fact two said they would destroy the kittens if I took them there.”

Haworth Cat Rescue campaign manager, Corinne Moore, said her group covered about 700 square miles, but that accepting the 20 surviving kittens in one go had been an administrative and logistical challenge. She said: “They vary in age from two to 10 weeks and are being treated with antibiotics and twice daily eyedrops. Sadly, little ginger Benny, who was very poorly, did not make it and there are still three or four in foster care, who are especially vulnerable, for which we’re anxiously awaiting a positive outcome.

“The good news is that the others are getting stronger. We hope they’ll all soon be recovering and ready for us to start looking for loving homes.”