What is the world coming to when it is commonplace in a country to find kittens dumped inside plastic bags? We know that there is a campaign against the domestic cat in New Zealand but when I read about this sort of animal cruelty it is upsetting and an unpleasant development.

Sister kittens dumped in a plastic bag in New Zealand south of Auckland.

In this instance, a couple of kittens, both 5 to 6 weeks of age, were found by local residents after they saw a “moving plastic bag” in some bushes. They contacted Melanie Marshall who runs a local rescue organisation, Franklin Cat Rescue. This happened in a district called Puni to the south of Auckland which is a major city in the north of New Zealand’s North Island.

Marshall said that they are sisters and that they would have undoubtedly died if they had not been found. They were underweight and traumatised. Marshall said that they felt like fur and bones. They were riddled with fleas and parasites and had the ubiquitous conjunctivitis. So often, we see abandoned kittens with terrible eye diseases.

Founder of Franklin Cat Rescue Melanie Marshall. Photo: BRIAR HUBBARD/STUFF.

The kittens are making a recovery thanks to the care and attention of Marshall’s rescue organisation. However, she is concerned that there may be other kittens from the same litter who may also have been abandoned.

She expresses the thoughts of the majority of people when she said:

“I can’t understand how someone thought it would be okay to tie them in a plastic bag and dumped them rather than take them to a rescue or a vet.”

She said that this isn’t the first time she’s seen animals dumped in this way i.e. in a plastic bag tied up. Working at her rescue she has seen horrific cruelty against cats and kittens. There have been numerous instances of cats and kittens being tied up or in boxes and left in remote places. She is concerned about the high number of cat cruelty cases and a complete disregard for life.

Marshall is clearly distraught at the callousness of some people in New Zealand. She said in relation to the proliferation of unwanted kittens:

“There’s no regard for where they’re going, or care if they are well looked after for the next 15-plus years. These are sentient, living, breathing creatures not last season’s fashion accessories or outgrown kids’ toys.”

The kittens recovering. Photo: FRANKLIN CAT RESCUE.

As you can see in the photograph, the kittens are doing well and they will spend some time in foster care where they will be able fully regain their health, be microchipped, vaccinated, spayed and then re-homed hopefully in a very nice family where they will be respected and treasured.

Source: stuff.co.nz