Kitten 'eaten' by starving cats after Bradford family's neglect

A kitten was "eaten" by starving cats who were neglected by a family in Bradford, the RSPCA said.

The dead kitten was found by RSPCA inspectors with bite marks to its neck and head, alongside seven other starving cats, at a house in Fernbank Road.

The vet who treated the cats wrote in her report that it was "unusual" for cats to attack each other in this way and that it was possible the other cats saw the kitten as "a source of much-needed food".

RSPCA inspector Kris Walker said: "All of the cats were frantically looking for food. It was unsettling that as soon as we gave the first cat some food the others were screaming in hunger waiting to be fed too.

"Sadly, they were so hungry that they had picked off the weakest link among them."

Two of the cats, Kit and Bubbles, were being kept in filthy crates and were covered in urine, while five other cats were running loose in the home. All seven of the cats were severely underweight and malnourished.

Four members of the same family have been convicted under the Animal Welfare Act and banned from keeping animals for life. Dawn Mawson, Sabrina Mawson, Elisha Mawson and Elizabeth Mawson have also been charged combined costs of £395.

The seven cats have now all made good recoveries and have been re-homed.

The vet added: "Luckily, the other cats were removed from the house in time and have gone on to make full recoveries, but it was unfortunately too late for the kitten.

"It was obvious all the cats were in a very poor condition, so any reasonable owner should have noticed this and sought veterinary attention."

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