Kittens abandoned at Whole Foods in Metuchen — it keeps happening

METUCHEN — Police say a woman keeps abandoning kittens at local stores.

On Tuesday morning, a woman left two kittens, each in an onion bag, at the Whole Foods — the fourth time this has happened.

Friends of the Edison Animal Shelter wrote on their Facebook page that a woman walked into the Whole Foods and then left after dropping the two bags.

She also left a handwritten note that read "Please take free baby cat to your home."

Edison police are investigating the case.  Edison provides animal control services to Metuchen.

The two domestic short-hair kittens, named Bermuda and Vidalia by the shelter staff, are doing OK, interim shelter manager Amy Ray told New Jersey 101.5. The eight-week-old pair, described by Ray as "cute and friendly," will go up for adoption in the next seven days.

The senior woman was seen walking on the Middlesex Greenway nature train. She had short black hair, a blue shirt and beige pants.

Ray said this is the fourth or fifth time the same woman has done the same thing in the past year, including once at a Petsmart store where she was captured on surveillance video. At the time, she was wearing a parka and her face was covered.

"We don't know who she is. Not until someone actually stops her or calls police when they see her," Ray said.

Ray hoped the woman would simply surrender the kittens and ask for help spaying and neutering her pets.

"New Jersey has many low-cost clinics that offer those services. She does not have to leave them as ‘free kittens.’ Shelters like ours and rescue organizations are glad to help get kittens adopted,” Ray said.

Edison police asked anyone with information about the cats to call Metuchen police at 732-632-8500 or the Edison Animal Shelter at 732-248-7278.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ

More from New Jersey 101.5