A kitten has been rescued by the RSPCA after being found in an industrial bin in Durham.
The 10-week-old tortie and white female was heard meowing by a member of the public the day before she was found on Friday (20 December).
RSPCA animal collection officer (ACO) Shane Lynn got to the scene, in an alley off Providence Row, at 4.45pm. He said: “It seems incredibly unlikely that this kitten got into the bin on her own.
“It was one of those big industrial bins and the lid was down. There was nothing else in it apart from her so whoever closed the lid couldn’t have missed her being inside.
“I had to use a ladder to climb into the bin and get her out so there was no way she was going to be able to do so herself.
“There was metal fencing with signs saying ‘keep out’ so if she was dumped then the person responsible had no intention she’d be found.”
Though she was very scared and hungry, thankfully she is healthy. She was taken to be checked over at a local vets and is now settling in well with one of the RSPCA Cat Rehoming Hub’s foster carers.
If anyone has any information about how she came to be in the bin – or thinks she may belong to them – please call the RSPCA appeal line on 0300 123 8018.
“She was so lucky. She could have died in there,” said Shane. “It was a Christmas miracle that she was heard, and that the member of the public who did so was actually able to find her, and we’ve decided that should be her name – Miracle.
“She’ll stay in foster care over the Christmas and New Year period and the hub will look for a new home for her after that.”
County Durham saw 98 abandoned animals reported to the RSPCA’s cruelty line last December and sadly, the charity is already caring for many animals abandoned this festive season.
This winter, the RSPCA expects to take in more than 10,000 animals in need across England and Wales. To help us to help the thousands of abused, neglected and abandoned animals left out in the cold this Christmas, visit www.rspca.org.uk/giftofkindness or you can donate direct to your local branch.
