Abandoned kittens found dumped in undergrowth survive by a whisker
The abandoned kittens are being cared for at Parklands
FOUR tiny kittens are being cared for at Parklands veterinary practice after they were heartlessly dumped at a local forest park.
The animals are believed to be just a few weeks old and were left to endure freezing temperatures and the attention of numerous dogs and other predators at Parkanaur Forest Park over the weekend.
Luckily the abandoned kittens were discovered by Killeeshil girls Lucy, Aine and Olivia Quinn who heard their cries while walking in the park.
“The kittens were very helpless and would not have survived much longer”, said Lucy, who with the help of her sisters and her parents brought them to Parklands Veterinary Practice.
“They were frightened, especially with all the dogs roaming about, and were difficult to catch. We gave them food over the weekend until we found someone who could look after them.”
Parklands Nurse Christine Brownlee said the practice had been inundated with unwanted cats in the past few weeks.
“We have received requests to take as many as thirty abandoned kittens in the past week alone”, she said.
“This year the cat population seems to have increased significantly with many cats having kittens well into the autumn.
“This longer kittening period has meant larger numbers of homeless cats in the area.”
In fact, Parklands has re-homed over 70 cats and kittens so far this year, prompting the practice to launch a drive to encourage local people to have their cats neutered.
“Here at Parklands we work in unison with The Cats Protection League and offer an assisted neutering scheme allowing cats to be neutered from four months of age for as little as £5”, said Christine
“We realise a large feral population exists in the area as well as a large population of farm cats. Many of these cats can be neutered under the scheme. For feral or difficult to manage cats a cat trap is available at our Moy Road Practice.
“We currently have cats and kittens at our practice in need of loving homes. We also have a list of clients who have cats and kittens needing new homes.”
Earlier this year,four fluffy pet rabbits were also callously dumped at Parkanaur.
The animals were found by Eamon McClean, Trust Manager of Speedwell, who said abandoning them was ‘a very irresponsible act’.
“I would like to highlight the dangers of people abandoning domesticated animals in a natural environment. It is a very careless thing to do.
“Not only will these animals face dangers from predators such as foxes and buzzards, they are also at risk of catching diseases or being hit by traffic.
If the owners who abandoned the pets are traced, they could face criminal prosecution.
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Weather for Dungannon
Wednesday 22 May 2013
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 4 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 5 C to 9 C
Wind Speed: 22 mph
Wind direction: North
