A dead kitten that was only a few weeks old has been found 'dumped' like rubbish in a field in Oldham.

On Sunday (October 29) a man said he found a "tiny" black and white kitten that had been wrapped in a towel in a field just off Coal Pit Lane in Bardsley. 

Tragically, the feline was found already dead and it remains unknown if it had died before or after it had been abandoned.

Warning distressing images below

Emma Louise, who runs a neutering campaign in Oldham and volunteers to rescue cats, said she was handed the kitten after a "lovely man" took the cat in with plans to bury it.

The Oldham Times: It remains unclear if the kitten was still alive when it was abandoned It remains unclear if the kitten was still alive when it was abandoned (Image: Em Louise)

The man said the bundle was "left at the entrance to the coalpits".

He said: "Whether it was alive when some heartless b****** left it there, I'll never know.

"Some people are just horrible."

Ms Louise estimates the cat was around just four weeks old when it died.

She continued said: "It's a callous act - a baby kitten just dumped like trash.

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"I'm absolutely lost for words.

"It's absolutely outrageous that someone can just disregard a kitten like that. If someone can act like this, they absolutely do not deserve animals."

She said the animal had been wrapped in a children's bath towel and was riddled with fleas "jumping everywhere".

The Oldham Times: The four-week-old kitten was wrapped in a children's blanketThe four-week-old kitten was wrapped in a children's blanket (Image: Em Louise)

The passionate campaigner also said she has reported the incident to the RSPCA and is appealing to members of the public who "must know who dumped the kitten", recognise the towel or know someone whose cat has had kittens.

She is also raising awareness of a petition she hopes will be brought to Parliament to introduce the mandatory neutering of pet cats.

The petition calls for sterilising kittens over the age of six months, unless they are registered as breeding animals, to tackle the "crisis" of homeless cats and to ease the pressure in rescue centres. 

Talking about the abandoned dead kitten in Oldham, Ms Louise added: "This is why neutering is so important.

"There is no excuse not to neuter your cats at £10.

"I wish there were stronger sentences for people who are neglectful to animals - this little one deserves much more than being dumped."

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