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A couple moving from Ashburton to Hamilton decided to shift their cats by rail - putting them in a container for a journey that would have lasted up to a week.
The pets are understood to have spent three days in the container, which had only made it to Christchurch, before they were discovered.
The three grey long-haired moggies are being cared for by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) after being found stressed in a locked railway container in Christchurch yesterday.
RSPCA Christchurch animal shelter manager Geoff Sutton said the cats were stressed and vocal when they were found.
One had escaped from the cage, which was full of faeces and had no water left, and another had an eye infection, which was being treated by RSPCA staff.
Toll Rail was alerted to the cats' plight yesterday when a woman phoned to ask where the container was.
Mr Sutton said the RSPCA was investigating and an animal welfare inspector had spoken to the owners this morning.
A prosecution is a possibility, he said. "We need to determine all the facts around the matter, but certainly transporting animals in that way is an offence."
Mr Sutton described their actions as "stupid".
"That's absolutely no way to transport an animal," he said.
"They should be transported as quickly as possible and provided secure and comfortable accommodation, whether it's in the back of a car or by air, but certainly not in a locked container."
- NZPA
