Kittens' mouths glued up

Trooper in his new home. Photo / Supplied

Two tiny kittens had to be put down after they were taken to the SPCA with their mouths glued shut.

This weekend was to have been a celebration for SPCA, as it found a new home and family for the Tauranga pitbull who had his ears cut off with scissors.

But the kittens' deaths were a bitter blow, instead.

Less than a month old, the kittens were found by a member of the public and taken to the Auckland SPCA on Thursday morning.

Marketing manager Martin Mackenzie said it was unclear whether their mouths had been glued shut deliberately but it seemed likely.

The kittens were too young to eat solid food so it was unlikely they had accidentally chewed something.

MacKenzie said the kittens would have suffered.

One was so weak it had to be put down shortly after it was brought in.

The other was put down the next day.

The SPCA is investigating after a spate of horrendous animal cruelty over the last few weeks.

This month Tauranga police were forced to warn pet owners to keep their animals secure after three attacks in the city.

A three-month-old kitten was smashed to death against a doorframe outside its owners' home.

In the same week a three-year-old dogue de Bordeaux was burned to death when an arsonist set fire to his pen.

And just two weeks earlier a pitbull puppy named Trooper was found wandering outside shops with his ears cut off.

SPCA staff believe Trooper's ears had been hacked off with scissors.

Trooper is recovering well and was introduced to his new loving adoptive home yesterday.