Guildford: Appeal after cat and kittens dumped at bus stop

The mother cat and her three kittens had been dumped inside a dirty cat carrier, the RSPCA said

The RSPCA has appealed to the public for information after a family of cats were abandoned at a bus stop in Surrey.

A member of the public discovered the mother and her three kittens on 5 February at about 14:30 GMT in Chilworth Road, Guildford.

The cats are now being cared for at the charity's Millbrook Animal Centre in Chobham.

Staff have named the mother Zodiac and the kittens - which are 10-12 weeks old - Hunter, Ace and Vogue.

Animal rescue officer Ben Fitzcosta said the cats had been "dumped like rubbish".

He said: "The mother and her three kittens were squashed inside one cat carrier with a dirty cloth or blanket and left out in the cold."

The charity said the family of cats were "doing really well"

Mr Fitzcosta said there was "never an excuse" to abandon an animal in such a way.

"We understand that circumstances can change and some people may struggle to care for their pets, especially if this female cat had a litter of kittens which the owners weren't expecting.

"But we'd urge anyone who is struggling to please reach out for help and never abandon your pets."

The charity has encouraged anyone with information on how the cats came to be at the bus stop to get in touch.

Follow BBC South East on Facebook, on Twitter, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [e-mail].