Young kittens have been found abandoned inside a taped-up box behind the Londis convenience store in Glossop

RSPCA Tameside and Glossop were contacted by a member of the public, who found the kittens ‘very cold and wet’.

They were then taken to Medivet Mossley who gave them a quick once over and held them until the RSPCA were able to collect them.

In a post on their Facebook on Wednesday 12 July, the Tameside and Glossop branch said: “The kittens are covered in urine and excrement. Their coats are stained, which means they’ve been kept in horrible conditions. 

They added: “We have treated them for terrible flea infestation, wormed them and given them a quick clean. But that’s all for today as they are exhausted and hungry. “We are just thankful they have been found.”

The RSPCA Tameside and Glossop branch described the kittens as ‘very fortunate’ due to their declining health at the time of their discovery.

It is believed that there are two different litters as there are three noticeably bigger kittens. In total, there are seven - three girls and four boys.

A spokesperson for the branch said: “We have had a terrible time with parasite infestations but after seven days the person who cares for them is now getting on top of the problem.

“The kittens are now at the stage where they feel safe and well enough to do what kittens do best: play, eat and sleep.”

Next week, the litters are booked in for their first vaccination and the older three will be neutered if they weigh enough.

They will be ready for adoption in a few weeks however staff at the RSPCA have expressed concerns that they will not be popular as sadly black or black and white kittens are ‘usually not desirable colours’.

All of the kittens are black and white, with six of them being semi long-haired and one being short-haired. 

The Tameside branch shared that they are ‘overrun’ with adult cats and kittens, many of which are these colours.

They continued: “We were blown away by the generosity of the public when they donated for the dumpster kittens found in Mossley. If people would like to help we are in desperate need of a scratch posts, toys as well as adult cat food.”

Regular updates on the kittens progress will be posted to the RSPCA Tameside and Glossop Facebook and when they are ready for their forever homes they will also be advertised on the social media page.