Abandoned 'miracle kitten' found in Bishops Waltham

A so-called "miracle kitten" has survived two weeks outdoors in freezing conditions after her siblings were rescued.

Staff from the Cats Protection charity were initially called to a country lane near Bishops Waltham, Hampshire, by a woman who had seen five dumped kittens.

Four were rescued but the fifth could not be found. Two weeks later, the woman spotted the missing moggy - now named Libby - at the same site.

All the kittens are "recovering well."

Cats Protection volunteers spend several hours searching the lane near Botley Park golf course for the abandoned animals on 5 January.

Lorri Seymour from the charity said it was an "awful dilemma" whether to leave in the early hours with just the four kittens - thought to be about 12 weeks old - with the fifth unaccounted for.

"It was after 8pm and in the middle of nowhere, so it was very dark and scary - there's just fields and a narrow lane so we only just got the car down there.

"We waited as long as we could, but we needed to get the other kittens checked over."

However, the branch received another call from the same member of the public on Sunday to say "against all the odds", she had spotted the kitten at the same location.

Ms Seymour said: "She was cold, hungry, underweight and had an injured nose after her terrifying ordeal.

"It was a miracle Libby was still alive and it was so cold out there I don't think she would have made it through another night. She must have been terrified."

Libby is currently being looked after by one of the charity's volunteer fosterers.

Cats Protection said all five kittens were "recovering well, gaining weight and quickly gaining confidence".