Two carrier bags of tiny kittens dumped just days apart

Four sick kittens were tied in plastic carrier bags and dumped like rubbish on a Surrey common within a few days of each other.

A dog walker saw strange movement coming from a shopping bag on Bramshott Common and closer inspection revealed a pair of tiny whimpering kittens inside.

Tiny kitten Bramble after being rescued

The frightened kittens were rushed to Cats Protection’s nearby Haslemere Adoption Centre where the team alerted a local vet. They were in a sorry state; barely four weeks old and malnourished with stomach upsets and sticky eyes.

As if that were not shocking enough, the same man spotted a second bag of discarded kittens while out walking on the common just a few days later. These two kittens, found only metres away from the first pair, were also taken to the Haslemere Adoption Centre for urgent care.

Bramble settling in to his foster pen

Despite the best efforts of vets, three of the kittens were sadly already too sick to live more than a few days after being found so only one kitten survived. Named Bramble by carers, the tiny warrior is being cared for by an experienced kitten fosterer.

Centre Manager Suzie Zyta said: “The kittens were in a really bad way and in need of urgent vet attention. They were lucky to be found that night, but even that wasn’t enough. Three kittens perished unnecessarily.

“Bramble is quite spirited and has a lot of fight in him, which is probably what’s kept him alive. He’s a noisy little thing and already causing mischief. We’re far from out of the woods yet, but we’re doing everything we can to give him a good chance of recovery.”

Fiesty Bramble waiting for his dinner

Bramble is a little fighter and will be kept under the close watch of the kitten fosterer until he builds up some strength and has a real chance of a better life. All being well, Bramble will remain in care for a few months, receiving vaccinations at nine and 12 weeks old, before being neutered and microchipped ready to be homed.

How to support us to care for cats like Bramble

While the centre cannot yet accept offers to home Bramble, the team at Haslemere is inviting supporters to help in another valuable way.

Cats Protection’s Regional Fundraising Manager Hannah Ashwell, said: “Bramble will receive the best possible care to thrive and then find a loving new home, but this comes at a cost. We have already been contacted by local people wanting to contribute, which shows how the story of these kittens has struck at the heart of the Haslemere community.”

If you would like to donate towards the care of Bramble, you can visit the centre’s JustGiving page.

Cats Protection’s dedicated carers have remained #HereForTheCats throughout COVID-19 restrictions. Cat carers fear that an increase in abandoned kittens could point to a summer kitten crisis. A recent Cats Protection survey of 1,000 cat owners showed a lack of awareness about neutering, with 77% unaware that a female cat can become pregnant at four months of age and 86% not knowing that a cat can have as many as 18 kittens a year.

For more tips on how to stop cats becoming pregnant, visit https://www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/neutering-and-vaccinations/neutering-your-cat.