Several "sickening" photos of kittens found tied inside of a grocery bag resurfaced online Wednesday in a viral PSA about "kitten season."
Posting to Reddit's "Cats" forum, Redditor u/Ftm__Incubus shared the photos along with a warning that read: "Kitten season has started!! If you see a closed cardboard box or bag out in the open, please check it!!"
So far, the post has amassed more than 30,000 upvotes and over 1,500 comments, while bringing awareness to an annual—and in some areas, bi-annual—phenomenon.
The photo set opens with a seemingly innocuous image of a plastic grocery bag sitting on a street corner. The bag is clearly tied and it appears as though something may be inside of it. Sadly, the second and third photos reveal that there is, in fact, something inside—a litter of four kittens.
It's unclear exactly who took the photos; however, one Google search suggested they could be traced back to a 2019 Reddit post by u/GallowBoob.
"When you see on the road a bag with the impression that it contains something moving, stop by to check the content," u/GallowBoob wrote at the time.
Kitten season, "otherwise known as feline breeding season," is a "time of year when thousands of homeless kittens flood animal shelters across the country," said the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA). The season typically occurs between March and October, though non-profit organization Michelson Found Animals said that kitten season sometimes occurs bi-annually in California because of its "warmer weather."
According to the ASPCA, abandoned kittens that look either sick or injured should be taken to a local shelter where they can be properly cared for. Those who find healthy, sociable kittens, on the other hand, should either adopt them or find them a foster home.
Sadly, the kittens seen in both u/Ftm__Incubus's and u/GallowBoob's posts aren't the first to be cruelly abandoned.
In February, a garbageman in France found a bag of kittens in the trash after hearing their cries. Back in September, a crate full of cats was found by a river in Indiana without food or water. And in November, a woman adopted a kitten after finding him alone in a Walmart parking lot.
As previously stated, Redditors were disgusted to see that someone had left a litter of kittens alone in a grocery bag.
"People are horrible. This reminds me of when someone threw a big dog food bag full of German Shepherd puppies out their car window on the freeway years ago where I used to live," wrote u/youreout1. "Sickening."
"Wtf is wrong with people. Tied shut, why??" asked u/Holiday-Release403.
"This makes me physically nauseous," said u/artificialavocado.
"Don't understand people who do this, breaks my heart," added u/Lisa_2569.
Newsweek reached out to the ASPCA for comment.
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