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RSPCA appeal after 'terrified' 6 week old kitten is found abandoned in shoe box

A 6 week old kitten who weighed less than ˝ a kilogram (1.1lb) is now thriving in RSPCA care after being abandoned in a shoe box on a country lane in North Wales. 

Pearl, as she has been nicknamed, was found with a bowl of water and a container of biscuits in:- Town Ditch Lane, near Rossett, close to the:- English and Welsh border, by 2 motorists last month.

She was emaciated and terrified, so taken immediately to:- ChesterGates Veterinary Specialists, before being transferred to the:- RSPCA's Wirral & Chester Branch. She is being bottle fed and is putting on weight in foster care.

She's also enjoying the company of a new feline friend; an orphaned kitten called Biddy. 

The RSPCA currently has around 3,000 cats in its care at:- centres, branches, foster homes, vet clinics and private boarding facilities - a higher number than dogs, which is unprecedented.

The charity's Wirral & Chester Branch alone is looking after more than:- 120 cats and kittens; details of those looking for homes are on their website.

RSPCA Inspector Leanne Cooper, who is investigating the incident, said:- "Pearl was very weak and flat when she was found and we're so grateful to the 2 young women who stopped and got her the help she needed as quickly as possible. At 6 weeks old she would still have been dependent on her mum for vital nutrition, socialisation and behavioural development and would have stood very little chance on her own. Her fosterer says she's got an enormous appetite but is still quite closed down. However, she's with a very experienced carer and now has a similar aged kitten for company, so we're very hopeful she will continue to go from strength to strength. Pearl has been through a terrifying and cruel ordeal and we're very concerned about the health of her mum and any other siblings."

With a peak in cat breeding between May and September, the RSPCA is reiterating its plea to owners to neuter their pets to help stem a capacity and welfare crisis during the so-called ‘kitten season'.

There is a misconception that cats can only become pregnant when they are older, or that it's healthy for them to have at least one litter of kittens, but this isn't the case - female cats can become pregnant from as young as four months old, so neutering at this age is crucial, says the charity.

Neutering male cats can stop them spraying to mark territory, and from getting injuries while fighting. They are also less likely to wander as far.

Having them snipped can also stop cats from spreading the FIV Virus; which is spread through bites, often between male cats fighting over a mate.

Caring for an unexpected litter of kittens is often costly and stressful which in extreme cases sees some owners cruelly dumping cats, like Pearl, on the roadside, in:- bins, or cardboard boxes.

The charity urgently needs adopters and fosterers to come forward so more cats can be rescued from cruelty and neglect and recover in a home environment, which is much better for their overall welfare.

Around 20,000 cats were taken into RSPCA care in 2025 and the charity thinks that number will be exceeded by the end of 2026.

Anyone who recognises Pearl, who was found at about:- 9 pm, on:- Sunday, 16 August 2026, or has information about the incident, is urged to get.