Kitten dies after being abandoned in a box

A days old kitten has died after being found abandoned in a box on a cycle track.

Friends of the Animals, a charity based in Newport, Isle of Wight, said it received a message from The Veterinary Hospital on Riverway to say a member of the public had found two kittens in a box on the cycle track between Cowes and Newport.

Helen Luff from the charity said the kittens, named Scooter and Vespa by vet staff, were found on Sunday but Vespa died on Monday.

She said the kittens were "full of fleas", some "half the size of a fingernail", and added that the kittens, which she believes were about 10-14 days old when they were found, had "no immune system".

In a statement posted on social media the charity said it is "concerned for the mum of these kittens and if there are any others that may need rescuing" and urged anyone with information to get in touch.

It added: "Fleas will kill kittens and these are not the first we have rescued in this state.

Luff urged owners to get their cats spayed or neutered and said "we can help towards the cost".

Jane Fraley, who is fostering the surviving kitten, said he is currently on antibiotics.

She said: "It's a very, very sad situation.

"Hopefully this one will pull through."

Luff said this year has been the busiest yet for the charity, which was founded in 1990, with the number of animals being taken in.

She added: "We've never known a year like it."