Young cat dumped inside Lidl shopping bag in Folkestone during hot temperatures

A 6-month-old cat has been found dumped in a tied-up shopping bag on a country lane in Folkestone.

Now named Frank, he was covered in fleas and appeared to have his fur cut in places.

A member of the public made the sad discovery at about 3pm on Friday (8 September) on Crete Road West and called the animal welfare charity.

He's being cared for at the RSPCA's Canterbury branch.

Inspector Kirsten Ormerod is investigating the incident. She said: "We're very grateful to the person who found this poor cat, as it seems he may have been in the bag for some time and he was in a very vulnerable situation, especially considering how hot it was. Bizarrely his fur appears to be randomly cut in places.

"We say it time and time again but dumping your pets is never the answer. It's an incredibly cruel way to get rid of unwanted pets, anything could have happened to this poor young cat.

"Money worries and the cost of living crisis are pushing even the most loving pet owners to extreme actions." Kirsten continued. "We are really seeing the impact of the cost of living crisis on the frontline and our centres are struggling to cope with demand. More and more animals are being abandoned and rehoming is slowing as people battle financial pressures."

In July this year, 2,031 incidents of abandonment were reported to the RSPCA.

In the first seven months of 2023, 11,782 incidents of abandonment were reported to the RSPCA's emergency line - a substantial increase on the first seven months of 2022, where 10,585 incidents were reported. This marks a rise of more than 11%.