Animal lover's horror as kitten left "completely stiff" by cruel paint attack

The incident was reported to have taken place on Godstone Road in Rotherham.

A volunteer found the poor kitten completely covered in white emulsion paint on the side of the road.

She added: “It’s just terrible.

“She was just laid in the gutter freezing cold and unable to move as the paint had dried.

“The kitten was shaking.

“She had paint on her which had hardened so she was completely stiff.”

The kitten was checked over by members of the not-for-profit organisation 4 The Love of Cats Rescue in Rotherham before being found a new home (below).

Cats Protection, a charity which has helped to rehome over 1.5 million cats, said it was deeply concerned by the incident and appealed for anyone with information to contact the police and RSPCA.

The RSPCA said they were appalled by the incident.

An spokesperson said: “This sounds absolutely awful and we are grateful to the member of the public who saved this defenceless kitten from such cruelty and we are pleased to hear she is on the mend.

“Tragically, we see hundreds of animals that come through our doors every year who have been subjected to unimaginable cruelty — being beaten, thrown across the room, had bones broken, been shot at, poisoned and drowned.

“As well as being hurt by their owners, cats are also more vulnerable as they tend to be out and about on their own which can leave them vulnerable to airgun attacks and other forms of cruelty by complete strangers.”

Anyone with reports of animal cruelty should contact the RSPCA on 0800 1234 999.