Kittens only hours from death after being found abandoned in a cardboard box are on the road to recovery at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home’s Old Windsor centre.

But staff at the centre in Priest Hill say the trio’s story is not an isolated one.

The past few months have been particularly busy with three boxes of kittens being found and brought into the Berkshire centre.

The latest arrivals have been named Emily, Charlotte and Anne and had been found by a member of the public after being abandoned in Slough. At five weeks old already have homes lined up.

Just last month Mushroom, a tiny black kitten estimated to be around three months old, was left outside a block of flats in a cardboard box. He was found by a member of the public, who brought him straight to Battersea Old Windsor. Luckily, Mushroom was in good health and quickly found a new home.

The month before, in March, two young cats and a nine-month-old kitten were found in a box left by a river in the village of Hurst, near Reading. The trio, named Peanut, Butter and Jelly by Battersea staff, were distressed but healthy and have since found new homes.

Georgia Randall, Cattery Team Leader at Battersea Old Windsor, said: “All these cats were luckily found in time and brought to safety, but it goes without saying that leaving helpless animals outside in a cardboard box is a huge risk to their welfare. The frequency with which we see cats being abandoned outside in boxes is deeply concerning. We understand that people are often in difficult situations, but we want to stress that abandoning them is not the only option.

“Battersea’s doors are always open to anyone who has cats or kittens that they can no longer take care of and our staff are not judgmental when it comes to dealing with owners, no matter what their reasons for bringing an animal in.”

If you have a cat or kitten that you can no longer care for and you can not find a home for them, consider bringing them into a rescue centre like Battersea Old Windsor.

Contact Battersea Old Windsor on 01784 494 462.