Chris the ferret looks pretty happy now.

But just before New Year, he was found abandoned in a bin bag in Brewer Street in Maidstone.

And on Saturday, two chinchillas - now named Paul and Patrick - were also found dumped in a filthy cage in Drawbridge Close in Maidstone.

The trio are now all being cared for by the RSPCA at Leybourne, and they will be available for rehoming soon.

The centre also had a busy weekend, bucking the traditional trend at this time of year and rehomed a record breaking number of cats.

Just six cats were left available for rehoming after 22 were found new homes.

A spokesman for the RSPCA said: “Christmas abandonments tug at the heartstrings because they happen when the weather is often cold and people are off work, enjoying the festivities with friends and family.

“There also may be added concerns for animals abandoned at this time of year, due to the weather. But in reality we deal with abandonments all year around - more than 11,000 alone in 2014 - and we expect 2015 to be as busy as ever.”

Nationally the charity rescued 169 animals between Christmas Eve and yesterday.