The kitten was one of six found dumped in Hull on Christmas Day
Nutcracker the kitten sadly died in recent days.(Image: RSPCA)
A kitten that was part of a litter rescued from a Hull alleyway on Christmas Day has died, animal rescue experts have said. Nutcracker was just five weeks old when he was found in a box with five siblings, dumped just off Melrose Street in the Anlaby Road area on Christmas morning.
The six cats – including two girls and four boys called Tinsel, Brussels, Parsnip, Gravy and Pudding – were being cared for by the team at RSPCA’s Hull and East Riding branch. Now, the animal welfare charity says it is devastated to have lost Nutcracker.
In an update, the charity said: “Thanks to the quick action of our volunteers alerting staff, Nutcracker was rushed straight to the vets. Sadly, despite everyone’s best efforts, Nutcracker was too poorly and passed away at the vets. All five of Nutcracker’s siblings were given full health checks at the same time and, thankfully, all received the all clear.
“The vets believe Nutcracker may have had an underlying condition that sadly only came to light when it was already too late. This loss came as a huge shock to everyone at the centre, especially as all the kittens have grown so much stronger since Christmas Day.
“We know so many of you have been following our Christmas kittens’ journey, and we felt it was only right to share this heartbreaking update with you. This is the reality of rescue. At our centre, we see sick, injured, neglected and mistreated animals every single day. While we love sharing the happy endings, rescue isn’t always made up of success stories.
“Losing an animal never gets easier for our staff and volunteers, but we continue this work because of our love and commitment to helping animals in need. We want to thank everyone who has supported, donated and shared our Christmas kittens’ story, your kindness truly means the world to us.”
Four of the male kittens are now available for adoption. Meanwhile Tinsel, the smallest of the litter is not ready to be re-homed and will remain with the charity for a bit longer “while she receives some extra TLC”.
Followers of the charity responded to the news with an outpouring of comments including thanks to the RSPCA. One person said: “Your team does an amazing job, thank you for everything you do”.
Another follower said: “If only humans took responsibility for their pets.” And one read: “So sad. Only consolation is Nutcracker crossed over the rainbow bridge loved.”