EIGHT kittens and their mother have been found abandoned inside a zipped-up suitcase on a disused railway line.
The black and white cat, now named Tarini, and her five week-old babies were discovered by a passing dog walker in a remote spot between Great Yeldham and Castle Hedingham on Tuesday.
The cat and kittens were found inside a navy blue case with a Polo logo.
The RSPCA was called and came and rescued the cat and kittens, after the passer by picked up the case and took them home for safety.
RSPCA Animal Collections Officer (ACO) Donna Smith said: “It was pure chance that this woman happened to find these little kittens and their mum.
“She was walking along the disused rail track when she wandered past a dumped suitcase, not thinking anything of it until her dog stopped and started sniffing it.
“She took a closer look and heard tiny miaows coming from the case, so opened the zip a tiny bit - and was shocked to discover nine pairs of eyes peering back.
“The mother cat and eight kittens had been just zipped up in the case and discarded. Who knows how long they had been there - it must have been terrifying for them. It would not have ended well had this kindly woman not come to their rescue - I have no doubt they would have suffered for days.”
The RSPCA urges anyone with any information about how the cats came to be in such a secluded spot to call us, in complete confidence, on 0300 123 8018.
The cats are now in RSPCA care. They were all very thin, and looked to not have had much food for a while.
Tarini had to be put on a drip and receive intensive care at the vets as she was also very dehydrated.
She has since recovered well and is back at an Essex centre with her kittens.
The kittens have all been named after characters from Disney film The Aristocats - Toulouse (male, tabby/white), Tiny Tim (male black/white), Scat Cat (male, tabby), Berloiz (male, black), Alli (male tabby), Duchess (female tabby), Marie (female, black), Eve (female tabby).
It is hoped they will soon be available for rehoming soon, and anyone interested in rehoming them or other cats should keep an eye out here.
To help the RSPCA rescue animals like this please text LOVE to 87023 to give £3 (Text costs £3 + one standard network rate message).
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