A cat and four-month-old kitten riddled with worms were found dumped “crying” in a sealed cardboard box on the roadside.

The neglected moggies, believed to be mum and daughter, were discovered taped up in a dog food box in Eynsford Road, Farningham near Swanley on Tuesday.

A member of the public says they were covered with a newspaper and left near a recycling centre.

After being taken straight to a vet, it was found the two-year-old cat had a large abdominal hernia and was underweight.

The four-month-old kitten had worms, an infected wound and was also confirmed as being underweight.

RSPCA inspector Kirsten Ormerod, says the pair were found "crying" following the "cruel" act.

She explained: "We’re very grateful to the person who found these poor cats for taking them straight to the vets.

"They heard the poor animals crying inside and discovered them taped up in the box.

“We’ve no idea how long they’d been there before they were discovered, but it’s clear whoever did this had absolutely no regard for their safety and their actions were incredibly cruel.

“The cat will need an operation for a hernia and the kitten is under veterinary care for an infected wound. Both were seriously underweight."

The kitties are now recovering under the care of the RSPCA, and have been named Morticia and Wednesday.

They will be available for adoption once they have fully recovered.

The welfare charity though is urging people to come forward to assist their investigation.

Anyone with information is being urged to call 0300 123 8018 and quote reference number 01209854.

Ms Ormerod insists neither cat was chipped or neutered - something which is causing more cats to be ditched.

She added: “The simple solution to preventing unwanted litters is by neutering your cats.

"We encourage people to register with a vet and explore whether local charities can offer neutering vouchers if cost is an issue.

"It’s so important to prevent unwanted kittens and reduce the immense pressure that animal welfare organisations are under.”

It comes at a time when animal neglect and abandonment is at a three-year high across the UK.

The RSPCA says both the effects of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis has led to more animals being deserted.

Last year, the charity received 20,999 calls about an abandoned animal - more than in 2020, 2021 and 2022.

Yet new legislation is to come into force this June to make it a requirement for all pet cats in England to be microchipped once they reach 20-weeks-old.

Owners will also be required to keep their contact details up-to-date on a pet microchipping database.

There is more help and advice for animal-owners struggling during the cost of living crisis on the RSPCA website here.

This year the charity is celebrating its 200th birthday, and is hoping to inspire one million people to join its movement in supporting animals.