FURIOUS bosses of an animal charity have today put a price on the head of a callous cat owner who left five tiny kittens to die at the edge of a busy dual carriageway.

FURIOUS bosses of an animal charity have today put a price on the head of a callous cat owner who left five tiny kittens to die at the edge of a busy dual carriageway.

The four surviving bundles of fur are beginning new lives today after they were cruelly left to face certain death at an industrial estate on the edge of the A14.

This despicable act of cruelty came just a day after the RSPCA revealed a puppy died after being flung from a motorway bridge into traffic.

The Labrador mongrel's legs were taped together and its mouth taped shut before it was tossed on to the M66 in Greater Manchester last week.

The vulnerable kittens were rescued after being heartlessly dumped in a bush, surviving many hours without food or warmth from their mother.

Curiosity had already claimed the life of their sibling who was hit by a vehicle on the busy dual carriageway, and it would not have been long before the others suffered a similar fate.

The site at Ransomes Europark, where the kittens were left to fend for themselves is almost exactly the same location where three others were found abandoned a couple of years ago.

The coincidence has prompted speculation that the same cruel person may be responsible for both shameful acts.

The three black kittens and their tortoiseshell sibling were found starving and dehydrated near Ansaback, in Melford Court, last Thursday .

As traffic raced by on the busy A14 another tortoiseshell kitten lay squashed just yards away.

Fortunately the kittens were discovered when Ansaback employees heard cries coming from a nearby bush and found the defenceless youngsters, small enough to be held in one hand, crying for their mother without even a blanket for comfort.

The kittens were taken inside and placed in a box with paper for warmth while one of the workers phoned a friend who worked for Cats Protection.

Claire Barker was off duty at the time of the call not but could not resist going to help out.

The 24-year-old, of Burrell Road, said: "They were all skin and bone and had probably been dumped in the morning or the night before because they were not very dirty. They were squeaking for their mummy and can't have been more than four weeks old. They were tiny and nearly brought me to tears."

"I can't believe someone would act this irresponsibly. People that have cats should have them neutered and if they can't afford to keep them properly then they should not have them."

But the adorable felines soon found themselves new homes despite the face that they will need to be hand-reared requiring almost constant attention.

Their cute faces melted the hearts of many employees, and after they were given a clean bill of by a vet they went off to their new homes.

Judy Mills, co-ordinator of the Ipswich branch of Cats Protection, said: "We are offering £100 reward for information leading to the prosecution of the cruel and heartless owner."

"All they had to do was ring us and we would have helped them.

"The location is also exactly the same place where we found three other kittens a couple of years ago so it maybe that the same persons cat has had another litter."

If anyone has any information they should contact Cats Protection on Ipswich 690084.

Cats protection will be offering another course of free neutering later in the year to try and cut down the number of unwanted kittens born.

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