In a shocking incident, a basket filled with 26 kittens was abandoned on the doorstep of the Bristol Moggery Rehoming Centre.
Volunteers at the charity were alerted by a loud bang at the door and discovered the flea-infested kittens, who were incredibly dirty and suspected to have been kept in a shed.
Photo: The Bristol Moggery Rehoming Centre
The kittens seemed to be from four or five separate litters of varying ages, with either ginger or tortoise fur. Christine Bayka, the founder of the charity, described the scene: "We heard a loud banging and opened the door to find so many kittens we couldn't count them."
The charity took immediate action, bathing the kittens and providing them with clean beds. They were divided into estimated age groups, with the larger cats receiving food, a comfortable bed, and a litter tray. The youngest kitten was separated and taken in by Ms. Bayka to be bottle-fed.
Ms. Bayka used the incident to urge people to have their pets neutered and chipped, emphasizing the importance of responsible pet ownership. She stated, "This is a perfect example of things getting out of hand. Please, please get your cats neutered and chipped."
She also warned against impulse buying of pets online, stressing that caring for an animal involves more than just providing food. She called having a pet a "luxury" and advised those struggling financially not to consider taking in a domestic animal.
The founder expressed concern about the overpopulation of cats driven by breeders and suggested that if platforms like Gumtree ceased advertisements for live animals, the problem might not be as prominent.
Gumtree, however, defended its stance, stating that it takes the "welfare of animals extremely seriously" and provides advice on safely rehoming pets online.
