Kitten 'suffered abuse from the day it was born' (From Bucks Free Press)

Kitten 'suffered abuse from the day it was born'

1:30pm Thursday 11th October 2007 in News By Neil Phillips

A CONCERNED animal welfare volunteer has called for the public to be more vigilant of animal cruelty in the area, after a dying kitten was found dumped at a recycling centre in Booker.

The seriously-ill animal was discovered in a skip at High Heavens, in Clay Lane, Booker.

Kim Ashford, who volunteers for Marjorie Nash Cat Rescue, in Widmer End, said: "People need to be a lot more vigilant, and not afraid to report it. The general feeling is there appears to be a rise in cruelty in this area.

"Animals have got no voice and they can't fight back. Everybody has to take responsibility, and not ignore what goes on around them."

Last Wednesday, workers at the waste dump were shocked to discover the kitten left in the household waste area of the tip.

The cat was wearing a flea collar and had been left in a blanket with some toys.

The workers contacted Marjorie Nash Cat Rescue - as they also do when they encounter feral cats at the site - in a bid to save the animal's life.

Janet Hill, a volunteer, went to retrieve the kitten from the site. She said: "It was so cold - the poor little thing wouldn't lift its head up. It was just motionless.

"The men were worried that it wasn't going to live. They are very caring up there.

"The vet said it was flystrike, but I have never heard of flystrike in cats.

"You just can't understand these people who would just dump her. They obviously bought her toys and a flea collar. She was such a sweet little thing. "

Flystrike is more commonly found in rabbits. It means that flies laid their eggs on the kitten, which then hatched and entered the animal's body. Maggots then feed on the animal's insides while it is still alive. The condition suggests that the animal had been left in its own waste for a long period.

Miss Ashford said: "It hasn't just been left to die, it's been suffering abuse since the day it was born.

"It's horrific."

Marjorie Nash said: "Nothing shocks me. I have been doing this for 25 years and we come across these awful situations from time to time. It is a terrifying place for this kitten to be left."