A charity has urged pet owners not to dump their animals after a 30 per cent rise in cat abandonment this year.

Cats Protection has said that almost one in nine of the cats taken into care by the Berkshire Cat Centre so far this year were abandoned.

This includes six-week-old Strawberry, who was dumped in a cardboard box by the side of the road in Reading, along with her mother and five littermates.

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A member of the public noticed the box, realised there were seven 'quite poorly' cats inside, and took them to a vet.

From there, they were taken in by Cats Protection, were all seven cats were underweight and suffering from cat flu.

Strawberry was the smallest of the kittens, weighing under 500g.

(Image: Cat's Protection)

She was still trying to nurse from her mother, but her mother was not producing milk anymore due to her own poor health.

The team therefore fed Strawberry a special diet to help her gain weight until she was well enough to eat normal kitten food.

The flu had led to a painful ulcer in Strawberry’s eye that was causing a lot of swelling, and it was uncertain for a while if the eye could be saved.

But with antibiotics, eye drops, and lots of cleaning over the next few weeks, it healed well with no lasting effects on her vision.

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Strawberry and her family received expert care from the centre team thanks to support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, who have raised over £9.9m for Cats Protection since 2018.

Claire Lindley, senior rehoming and welfare assistant, said: "We know tough times can lead to heart-breaking decisions, but abandoning your cat should never be one, as it puts cats in danger.

"Cat Protection offers cat owners advice and support to help them continue their journey together.

"Where this isn’t possible, we take cats into care as soon as we are able.

"There’s a loving new home out there for every abandoned cat, and we’ll do whatever it takes to find it.

"With support from players of People’s Postcode Lottery, we can be here for every cat’s journey, and for every owner who needs our advice and support."

Despite her tough start, Strawberry was a playful and affectionate girl who would purr happily while snuggling up to people.

She was soon adopted once she was fully recovered and is now enjoying her forever home.