Newborn kittens fighting for lives after being dumped in plastic bag

Four tiny kittens, who were just hours old when they were found, are fighting for their lives after being dumped in a plastic bag by the side of a road.

The kittens, who are so small they can fit in the palm of a hand, were found by a dog walker on Friday July 31.

They were taken to Summerwood Vets in Blackwood, where they received urgent care from vets Kirsty Buckland and Darcie Linton, who worked round the clock all weekend to care for the kittens.

Together they provided the feeds and toileting that newborns require every two hours. Having survived the weekend, they are now in the care of Cats Protection Gwent which will continue caring for them.

Glynis Davies, branch co-ordinator for Cats Protection Gwent, said: “These kittens are so small and vulnerable, it cannot be overstated how lucky they were to be found.

“Newborn kittens are incredibly fragile. They are completely blind and deaf and cannot maintain their own body temperature.”

She continued: “These little ones were snatched from their mother so soon after she gave birth that they will not even have received the vital colostrum, a pre-milk fluid that mother cats produce in the first few days after birth. It is full of antibodies and starts to build the kittens’ immune system. Without it they are at high risk of infections and diseases. 

“Whoever dumped these kittens put them at incredible risk. They would have died within a couple of hours without being found and their mother will be frantic, confused and may need vet care herself.” 

Ms Davies added: “This is a horrific act of cruelty and shows absolute disregard for both the lives of the kittens and the distress this will have caused their mother.

“We urge whoever dumped them to ensure the kittens’ mother receives vet care ASAP. We are going to fight for these tiny kittens and although they have had the worst possible start in life we hope we can keep them alive.

“If anybody would like to help support these kittens, we’d be incredibly grateful for donations of Royal Canin Babycat milk and Lily’s Kitchen kitten pate which are on our Amazon wishlist.”