A kitten has died after reportedly being thrown from a moving car in Welling, south-east London, in what the RSPCA has described as “a really distressing and upsetting discovery”. The young tabby-and-white cat, thought to be less than six months old, was found at the junction of Burns Close and Chaucer Road at about 19:40 GMT on 31 October.
A witness said they saw the kitten being thrown from a dark-coloured car with silver trim on the roof and described how the animal struggled to stand on its back legs after hitting the ground.
RSPCA rescue officer Brian Milligan, who attended the scene, said: “The kitten must have been terrified as this was happening and this was clearly a tragic ending to this young cat’s life.” He added: “From what we’ve been told, it appears that the poor kitten was alive when it was allegedly thrown from the car, then possibly injured during the incident, and subsequently run over. If someone no longer wants their pet, there are many safe and responsible options available – abandoning or harming an animal is never acceptable.”
According to the RSPCA, the kitten’s injuries were consistent with being struck by a vehicle, making it impossible to determine its sex. The animal was not microchipped.
The charity has appealed to anyone in the area who may have doorbell or CCTV footage that could help identify the vehicle or those responsible. It has asked the public to come forward with any information that could assist the investigation.
The RSPCA has highlighted this as another example of animal cruelty that continues to shock communities and called for greater awareness of safe and humane ways to surrender unwanted pets.
