Four kittens were found discarded in a cardboard box on Ashdown Forest in September.
The kittens were discovered by a dog walker when they were just four weeks old, only a few days before torrential rain pounded the region.
They were rushed to Cats Protection’s nearby National Cat Adoption Centre, where they were named Karen, Kieran, Keith, and Kiri.
As well as being dehydrated and hungry, the kittens were all found to have deformed stumpy tails and Karen had an abnormally formed leg which it was thought may need to be amputated.
Tania Marsh, Deputy Manager of the National Cat Adoption Centre, said: “It was incredibly fortunate the kittens were found when they were, as they would not have survived much longer in the forest.
“They all have stumpy tails,” says the narrator. We don’t know how this happened — it may have happened as a result of an accident, but it’s more probable that the kittens were born with this condition.
“It’s heartbreaking that these kittens were just discarded because they had no method of fending for themselves and would have perished if they hadn’t been discovered.”
“It’s probable they were an unintended litter caused by a cat that wasn’t neutered.” Because cats are prolific breeders that can have up to three litters each year, it’s critical that all cats be neutered to avoid unwanted kittens.”
