STAFF at an animal shelter have been left shocked after a cat and her new born kittens were left to starve in an abandoned house.

The cat, and her kittens had been locked in a house in Shakespeare Avenue, Portswood and left to starve by the tenants when they moved out.

Helen Shaw, manager at St Francis Animal Welfare shelter in Fair Oak, and her staff were said to be "deeply shocked and upset" when they heard about this.

Martins estate agents in Winchester is said to have originally found the cats and contacted the shelter.

Daily Echo: Angel, the cat once rescued. Photo by: St Francis Animal Shelter

They were only just found in time to save them according to the shelter.

Helen said: "'It was heart-breaking to see. How can people be so wicked?

"Even if they’d turned her out it would still be cruel, but at least she’d have had some chance of survival. She was only just found in time and needed veterinary care."

There was said to be no food left for the animals and only empty shredded boxes of cat food that she'd tried to eat.

There were no litter trays and no water and the cats bones were sticking through her because she had got so thin.

Helen added: "No animal deserves this, least of all one with newborn babies.

"She’s such a sweet friendly girl, she hasn’t stopped purring since we took her in so we've named her Angel.

"We’d like to trace the owners so we can inform the RSPCA because abandoning an animal like this is illegal.

"Apparently they claimed to be going abroad but this might not be true''.

If you have any info about the owners you can contact St Francis at stfrancisanimalwelfare@gmail.com or leave a message on 023 8069 3282.