A STARVING tabby cat was dumped near the A27 with a note reading “not wanted”.

The cat is believed to have recently given birth to kittens and was “dumped with the rubbish” according to the RSPCA.

Named Heather by the animal rescue service, the white female tabby was found by a passer-by in a cardboard box close to the Falmer slip road and the bus stop on Wednesday, August 8.

RSPCA animal welfare officer, Marie Stevens, visited the scene to collect her.

She said: “Dumping an animal like this is callous and cruel.

“The cat didn’t have any obvious injuries and was very friendly, but she seemed quite hungry and was also producing milk so I think she may have had kittens fairly recently, despite there being no sign of the kittens themselves.

“There is never an excuse to abandon an animal like this.”

Heather is now being cared for at RSPCA Brighton Animal Centre in Patcham and will soon be ready to be rehomed.

Anyone who may have any information on how the cat came to be abandoned, or any information on where the kittens might be, to contact the inspectorate appeal line on 0300 123 8018.