RSPCA appeal over cats found dead in ditch
GoogleThe RSPCA has appealed for information after two cats were found dead in a ditch in Derbyshire.
The bodies of the females were found together in a fabric car carrier by a member of the public on Rectory Road in Upper Langwith, Shirebrook, at about 20:00 BST on 24 May. One of the animals was pregnant.
The animal welfare charity said the young cats, which were not microchipped, were believed to have been drowned before they were dumped in the ditch.
Rescue Officer Ben Massey said the RSPCA was investigating to establish who was responsible for the deaths and added the situations was "heartbreaking".
'No obvious injuries'
The animal charity said the finder reported the incident to the RSPCA and took the cats to a nearby vet.
It said their bodies and the carrier were "dripping wet" but there had not been any rain in the area at the time, suggesting the most likely cause of death was drowning.
On examination, which included an x-ray, found "no obvious injuries" and it was thought the felines' deaths had only recently happened prior to discovery, the RSPCA said.
Massey said: "We are grateful to the member of the public for reporting this and for taking the bodies to a vet - it must have been really upsetting to have found these poor cats in this situation.
"We would also like to thank the vets for all their help in this investigation.
"When they examined the bodies they sadly found that one of the cats was pregnant, which is heartbreaking. Both cats were only young.
"While a cause of death has not been confirmed, the vet suspects it is likely that they had been drowned and then dumped in the ditch.
"I am keen to find who may have owned them as we try to establish who is responsible for their deaths."
Anyone who has any information or may have seen anyone in the area at the time has been urged to contact the RSPCA Inspector Appeal Line on 0300 123 8018 quoting incident 01810568.
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