RSPCA: Appeal for information after mum and kittens dumped at Guildford bus stop in 'dirty' carrier

The RSPCA is seeking the public's help, after a family of felines was abandoned at a Surrey bus stop.

The mother cat and her three kittens were found by a kind passer-by at the Chilworth Road stop in Guildford, on Monday, 5 February at around 2.30pm. Their discoverer took the cats home with them to give them some food and water, before contacting the RSPCA.

Animal Rescue Officer Ben Fitzcosta collected the cats from the caller, and took them into the care of RSPCA Millbrook Animal Centre in Chobham. “These poor cats had been dumped like rubbish at a bus stop down a quiet, rural road in Guildford. The mother and her three kittens were squashed inside one cat carrier with a dirty cloth or blanket and left out in the cold. We’re so grateful that someone spotted their plight and rescued them," he said.

“They are in good health but were extremely stressed when I collected them, and will now go into our care until an owner is found or they can be rehomed.” He added that there was never an excuse to abandon an animal like this. "

We understand that circumstances can change and some people may struggle to care for their pets, especially if this female cat had a litter of kittens which the owners weren’t expecting. But we’d urge anyone who is struggling to please reach out for help and never abandon your pets."

The animal welfare charity encourages owners to get their cats neutered from four months old, to prevent unwanted and unexpected litters of kittens being born. Officer Fitzcosta said although kittens were cute, they can be very costly and time consuming - "as we expect the previous owners of these cats discovered".

The mother, a black cat thought to be around four years old, has now been named Zodiac by the staff at RSPCA Millbrook, while her kittens - who are around 10-12 weeks old - have been named Hunter, Ace and Vogue. The family is doing well - with Zodiac in good health besides needing some dental treatment, and has been found to be a very sweet and friendly cat.

Her kittens are still incredibly shy, the RSPCA said, suggesting they haven’t had much human socialisation. However, the trio seemed to also be in good health.

The charity is now appealing for anyone with information on how these cats came to be at the bus stop, or anyone who recognises them, to please help its investigation by contacting the RSPCA inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.

This comes as the RSPCA says it is in the midst of an abandonment crisis, with cases reaching a three-year high in 2023, thought to be due to the pandemic and cost of living crises. The animal charity alone saw a shocking 33% rise in abandonment calls in 2023 compared to 2020, with more than 20,000 animals dumped in the UK last year.