A pair of adorable kittens have been rescued after they were cruelly coloured in with permane.nt marker pens
The terrified four-week old males, dubbed Shrek and Smurf, were daubed with green and blue Sharpie pens in what animal centre volunteers have branded “a horrendous act of cruelty”.
A police officer contacted Bradford Cat Watch Rescue Kittens (BCWRK) after discovering them at an address in Bradford.
Care co-ordinator of BCWRK, Katie Lloyd, who arrived at the scene to help them, said: “I think it’s awful. We’ve dealt with some horrendous cruelty over the years but this is barbaric.
"It’s not paint or spray, we reckon it’s been done with Sharpie pens.
"Why would you sit and colour a cat in? Both Smurf and Shrek were meticulously coloured in. Smurf had a tiny white tip on the tail and even that’s been coloured in with blue.”
Both Smurf and Shrek have needed round-the-clock care including fluid injections, bottle feeding and regular washing and now face a trip to the vets to assess the long-term effects of the abuse.
Katie, who has run the rescue centre for ten years, explained that they were in reasonable health despite the trauma they’d been through.
She added: “They’re not doing too badly considering.
"Smurf had breathing difficulties at 3am today but seems to be ok now. There’s no guarantee on their outcome but we will do our absolute best.”
The pair will be fit for rehoming in 6-8 weeks.
