Kittens found in taped-up box 'need their mum'

It would "be a miracle" if four kittens found in a taped-up box in woodland survive without their mother, a charity has warned.

The owner of the cat and the abandoned kittens, which were found by a dog walker in Beacon Lough, Gateshead, on Wednesday, has been urged to come forward.

One was found dead while the other three were badly injured, with bite marks and puncture wounds.

Now in the care of Pawz for Thought, the charity said it believed the animals were no more than a day old when they were left and wanted them to be reunited with their mum to better their chances of survival.

Lorraine Thornton, a volunteer for the charity, said she did not believe the kittens were ever meant to be found.

"Without mum they just die very quickly, but I don't understand the point of leaving them in the middle of the woods, in the middle of nowhere," Ms Thornton said.

"They weren't meant to be found, they were disregarded like rubbish and dumped."

Ms Thornton said the Sunderland-based charity had seen a significant increase in the number of kittens being abandoned.

She currently has 23 young kittens living in her house, because they need to be bottle fed every two hours.

"It's an exhausting strain," she said. "For the kittens, the best thing has always been with mum, they don't have such a good chance with me."

The charity put out an appeal to the person who dumped the kittens to come forward.

"If we could get that cat, she could raise her kittens...we could neuter her and return her to the owner, neutered free of charge," Ms Thornton said.

"It's a miracle that somebody found them and it'll be another miracle if they actually survive the trauma that they've been through.

"Obviously we always try and we always give everything we have, but it's not a guarantee."

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