Scottish Independent Media

By Claire Elliot

AN ANIMAL charity has urged hard-up owners to seek help and not just abandon their pets after a kitten was dumped on the doorstep of one of its volunteers.

The tortishell feline, given the name Charity, was left outside the home of Jean Wood, from the Inverurie and Alford branch of Cats Protection, last week.

Like so many other unwanted cats and kittens, the five-month-old is feared to be another sad statistic of the economic recession.

It is thought she might have been dumped because her owners could not afford the cost of having her neutered.

But with the main kitten season fast approaching, Mrs Wood, of Montgarrie, Alford, stressed that help was available.

She said: “We try and help where we can.

“If it’s a matter of getting it neutered we pay for that. We provide neutering vouchers and it doesn’t cost them anything so hopefully the cat can stay.

“But please don’t just abandon them.

“Charity was fortunate to have been dumped on my doorstep and not in the wild because there is no way that cat could look after itself.

“Hunting is a learnt response in cats. They instinctively chase things, but to catch enough to keep themselves alive takes a bit of doing.”

Mrs Wood found Charity, who has since been neutered, vaccinated and micro chipped, on her doorstep after spotting a man drop something of at her home.

By the time she got to the door, however, the man was gone, leaving behind the kitten in a cat carrier that “looked like it had been run over by a tractor”.

Inside there was also a £1 donation.

Mrs Wood said: “I could see the cat lying on a filthy zipped cardigan and when I investigated, inside the box there was a £1 coin.

“Someone has obviously known I’m a foster carer brining her and dumping her here.

“But the poor little thing was just shell-shocked. She is such a gentle little soul.”

She added that Charity had obviously been looked after as she had no mat in her long coat and was used to sitting on someone’s lap.

The kitten is now looking for someone to give her a loving and quiet new home.

So far, this year, the branch has rehomed more than 60 felines, which have been given up for a variety of reasons, including financial problems, martial breakdowns and changes to work circumstances.

Anyone interested in giving Charity, or any of the cats and kittens, a home can contact the branch helpline on 01467 625695 or visit www.cats-inverurie.co.uk