Eight dumped cats are rescued

Dog walker found terrified animals in box with no food or water

EIGHT tabby cats screaming in terror were recently found abandoned in a sealed cardboard box in Thatcham.

A woman walking her dog in the Memorial Field on a bitterly cold night on Thursday, December 1, heard their frantic cries and carried them home.

The next morning all eight were taken to the Cats Protection Centre in Curridge near Newbury, and they are now almost ready to go out to a good home.

Natasha Tarrant (pictured), a receptionist at the centre who was working when the cats were brought in, said: “We were horrified when told they'd been found taped up in a cardboard box with no holes to let in air for them to breath. They're really lucky to be alive.

“It was nine in the evening and freezing cold when a lady heard them screaming. If she'd not heard them, she would have walked straight past, and they'd probably have died by the morning.”

Miss Tarrant added that fortunately, the cats were in a good physical condition, which she said must have helped them cope with the cold as there was no food or water in the box.

“There were four kittens, all aged around four months, two others, aged about six months, and two fully-grown male cats.

“They've all settled in now and are eating well, and they are now being prepared for adoption.”

Miss Tarrant added that the cats had been renamed after celebrities appearing in the recent ITV show, I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here, with the two biggest cats named Ant and Dec.

However, Miss Tarrant said this was not the first time cats had been found in a box, adding that on more than one occasion, workers at the centre had arrived to find cats left outside the premises.

She said: “It can happen, especially at this time of year.”

As a result, Miss Tarrant issued a timely warning to anyone who might be thinking of giving a cat as a Christmas gift.

She added: “We have more than 100 cats on our waiting list, and we're desperately keen for them to go to good homes, but we're also concerned at this time of year that it's not just a cat for Christmas that will be abandoned once the New Year comes round.

“We are open over Christmas for people to come in and look at our cats and reserve one, if they like one in particular. We have some lovely ones here with a wide range of ages, colour, and character.”

Visit www.newbury.cats.org.uk for more information.