Animal charity angered at dumping of nine cats

Whoever dumped at least nine cats in the car park of an animal sanctuary was "selfish" and they put the cats at risk, staff with the charity said.

The animals were driven to Wythall Animal Sanctuary, south of Birmingham, on Sunday and "tipped out" from their carriers next to a busy road, they added.

The cats were "very scared and confused" and some could only be rescued after setting traps, with all those left in the car park now thought to be accounted for, said Reah Burrows, from the charity.

In a post on Facebook, the centre stressed cases like these were "acts of abandonment and neglect" even with the animals being left next to the sanctuary.

"We were angry and then really worried. We don't condone this at all," said Burrows, senior cat carer at Wythall.

"It's massively reckless. They could have been run over - or anything could have happened. We think there were nine, but who's to say there's not more out there?

"We also have a waiting list. There are ways of doing it properly."

Earlier this month, the charity said it was closed to cat intakes as every pen was filled and it was having to use emergency crates as homes for the animals.

According to Burrows, the cats were taken out of a white van that had pulled into the staff car park after hours and then drove off after dumping the moggies.

"They just started tipping cats out of these carriers. They were so careless about it. All we could hear was the cats crying," she said, adding that staff had spotted them through using CCTV cameras at the centre.

The nine cats were reported to be doing well after their shock arrival.

"A couple have gone into foster homes, and we've also tried to pair some of them up as some have bonded with each other," said Burrows.

"They do seem in quite good condition physically, aside from fleas and wormy tummies."

There are currently 58 cats in the Worcestershire charity's care and staff admitted they felt like they were playing "cat Tetris daily here" with any new arrivals.

Burrows said there was a wider "cat crisis" that needed to be addressed, adding that not enough people neutered or spayed their felines.

"There are more cats that need help than there are spaces for them," she added.

"Animal abandonment remains a massive issue across the country, putting immense pressure on rescue and sanctuary operations."

Follow BBC Hereford & Worcester on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.