A young cat was found dumped in a carrier bag on Christmas Eve with a heartbreaking note reading: ‘Take me in and love me’.
One-year-old black cat Mila was found abandoned in a park in East London by passersby who noticed the bag moving.
A heartbreaking note left with the cat said her owner was going back to university and ‘won’t be able to take me with her’.
The RSPCA were later contacted, who now have Mila in their care.
They say she was lucky to have been spotted, as she might have been attacked by a dog or a fox or even frozen to death.
The poor feline was discovered on a park bench in Barking Park by a family who had noticed two men leaving a carrier bag.
They spotted the bag was moving and found Mila inside, along with a handwritten note, reading: ‘Hello I’m MILA. I am 1 year old turning 2 Feb 17th 2024.
‘My owner is going back to university and won’t be able to take me with her.
‘Take me in and love me like she my owner did. Thank you 24/12/23.’
The RSPCA is now investigating the abandonment of the young cat.
As part of its Join the Winter Rescue campaign, the RSPCA has revealed it received around 30,000 reports of animals being abandoned in 2023 – more than in all three previous years.
Lee Ricketts, an investigating animal rescue officer, said: ‘The cat was very lucky to be found when she was.
‘It was getting dark and it was unlikely that there would be much footfall in the park for the rest of the evening or on Christmas Day.
‘She could have been attacked by a dog or a fox, and the cold weather could have been really dangerous, as well as having no food or water in the carrier.
‘She was taken to Finsbury Park Animal Hospital for a check up, and is now at an RSPCA branch.
‘It’s so sad that rather than taking her to a place of safety, she was simply abandoned in a park during a very quiet period.
‘Shockingly, abandonment reports to the RSPCA are at a three-year high – highlighting why we are urging people to join the winter rescue and help us reach more animals like this poor cat.
‘If anyone knows who those two men were or the cat’s previous owner, please contact us so we can investigate further.’
Mila is now being cared for at an RSPCA branch, and will be rehomed once a suitable new home is found for her.
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