A struggling pet owner left a heartbreaking note with a kitten found abandoned in the street.

The person placed the feline inside a box with a handwritten poster that said, ‘Hi, please adopt me and don't abuse me' in Makati City, the Philippines.

Passers-by later found the creature inside the carton with a bowl of water, a packet of cat food, and a Peppa Pig stuffed toy on February 19.

But what broke their heart was a letter from the kitten's old owner who explained why the creature, named Bonbon as stated in the note, had to be let go.

The letter said: ‘I'm Bonbon please adopt me and take good care of me. A dog bit me that's why I can't walk.

‘Hi I'm the old owner of Bonbon. Please take good care of him. and don't abuse him I'm begging you please.'

Further into the letter, it was stated that the cat's original owner was ‘just a kid'.

It said: ‘Just a kid. I don't have enough money to take him to the vet. Please adopt him I'm crying it hurts me. Just a kid. Thank you.'

One of Bonbon's rescuers Christian Delovino said he was on the way home when they saw the box.

He said: ‘We were afraid to open it. We thought it was a baby then we heard a meow. It was an adorable cat and we found a crumpled paper where there was a message from the owner.

‘We thought it was a kid who wrote the message. The cat was injured so we took it home.'