Six-week-old kitten dumped in bin at Tooting’s Wilko

A six week old kitten found dumped in a homeware shop is now being cared for by a pet charity.

Betty was found in the gardening section inside Wilko in Mitcham Road, Tooting, by a customer who alerted staff after hearing tiny miaows.

The kitten, who is in good health, is currently being looked after at the Blue Cross rehoming centre in Lewknor, Oxfordshire, and will go up for rehoming after the age of eight weeks.

Marion Terry, 20, customer assistant at Wilko, said: “When we first found the kitten she was understandably frightened as it was a busy lunchtime in our store. I picked her up and put her in our staffroom. She was soon purring and fell asleep on my colleagues arm.”

Eve Brant, veterinary & operational supervisor at Blue Cross in Lewknor, said: “Betty should still be with her mum and litter mates. She must have had such a scare being dumped in a busy store surrounded by strange smells and noises.

“She’s lapping up the cuddles from our team here and I’m sure it won’t be long until she’s loving life in a new home.

“With the weather warming up it’s really important to make sure your cat is neutered and microchipped as they will be more inclined to roam.

“Every year we take in many unwanted litters of kittens and strays and it is important to know that very young cats and siblings are likely to produce a litter if not neutered.”

The charity is once again urging people to neuter their cats as the national pet charity braces itself for another bumper kitten season with the onset of the warmer spring weather.

Since January, the charity has already had 106 kittens in for rehoming at its centre across the country – up 10% on the same period in 2018.

Another litter of kittens, found living in a compost heap, are also being looked after by the team at Lewknor.

To find out more information about the work of Blue Cross, or to make a donation to the pet charity, visit www.bluecross.org.uk