Four kittens dumped on doorstep in freezing temperatures in Yorkshire

The charity has now taken care of the four kittens, which were dumped outside a house on Raincliffe Terrace in Leeds shortly after noon on March 9. Three black female kittens – called Dusty Dolly and Debby – are believed to be no more than seven weeks old. A ginger and white male kitten – thought to be four to five months old – has been named Adam.

All of them were unharmed, but were cold and frightened after being dumped in freezing temperatures. They will be available for rehoming from RSPCA.

RSPCA animal rescue officer David Holgate attended the property to collect the cats, who were later checked over by a vet and placed into the care of a local RSPCA branch.

He said: “It was wet, cold and thoroughly miserable at the time. The box they’d been left in was soaked through, so it must have been a very unpleasant and bewildering experience for them. They could also have escaped and become injured, so leaving them like this put them in a very vulnerable position.

“Abandoning animals is never the answer and we’d urge anyone who is struggling to look after their pets - at what is a very difficult economic time for many people - to seek advice and support.

“Incidents like this also highlight the importance of getting your cat neutered. Kittens are lovely to look at but they can also be hard work, time consuming and costly. The RSPCA and other cat and veterinary organisations strongly advocate neutering cats from four months old before they can become pregnant to avoid unwanted litters.”

Anyone who recognises them or has information about the incident can contact the RSPCA’s inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.