Kittens dumped in bin thriving after rescue

Four newborn kittens that were found after being dumped in a shopping bag in a bin have "gone from strength to strength" after being rescued by the RSPCA.

The three females and one male were discovered on 17 April after a member of the public heard noises coming from a litter bin next to a wooded area on Hill Road South, in Penwortham, Lancashire.

The kittens, who were only a few days old, had been wrapped in a blanket and still had their umbilical cords attached.

Named Buttercup, Daisy, Foxy and Bud, they were placed in incubators and fed every few hours after being cared for by Anne Mitchell, who said she had "bottle fed hundreds of kittens" over the past 40 years.

Ms Mitchell, animal care manager at the charity's Southport, Ormskirk and District Branch, said: "It's never easy with newborn kittens as they need to be constantly monitored.

"The first eight weeks can be tricky, especially when the time comes to wean them as the mother cat usually instinctively knows when to do this."

She said two incubators, one of which was fundraised by supporters, had made "a huge difference".

"It means we can provide a constant, warm temperature which is absolutely critical for newborn kittens as they can't regulate their own body temperature effectively for the first few weeks of life," she said.

When they were found, the kittens weighed 120g (4.23 ounces) each, but now weigh more than 1kg (2.2lbs).

Once they were old enough, they were placed in a foster home to help them become more socialised and familiar with a home environment, where they went "from strength to strength".

Bud and Foxy are "enjoying life" with a new family after they were rehomed last week, but their siblings Buttercup and Daisy are still waiting at the branch's animal centre to find new homes, the RSPCA said.

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