The brown cardboard box had been dumped outside a branch of the RSPCA in Halifax on Valentine's Day.
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Dumped without thought
On the side of the box was written "free cat save my life" in big black capital letters. When the box was opened, it revealed a shocking truth and exposed an act of pure callousness.
Inside the box were nine flea-ridden cats. One of the cats was pregnant, and another had recently had kittens.
No one knows who left the poor felines in the box and how long they'd been there waiting to be discovered.
Appeal for information
The RSPCA has seen a steep rise in the number of pets abandoned by their owners due to the increasing cost of living. But the charity urges owners who might struggle to pay for their pets to get help or ask a rescue shelter to take them. Never just abandon a pet like this.
The RSPCA is appealing for information about the person who dumped the nine cats. If you have any information, you can call the RSPCA confidentially on 0300 1238018.