Nest of kittens found up tree watched over by doting 'dad' cat
A cat and her kittens have been rescued after being found nesting in a tree at the back of an industrial site, watched over by a doting 'dad' cat.
Volunteers from the Cats Protection Chiltern Branch were investigating reports of a welfare issue with a colony of cats on an industrial site in Amersham, Buckinghamshire.
They followed the mother of the newly born litter to find her three kittens nesting in an old bird’s nest, high up in a tree.
There were concerns that the kittens may fall out and injure themselves.
However rescuers at Cats Protection weren't the only ones keeping a watchful eye over them!
A 'doting' tom cat had bonded with the mother and was watching over the young family too.
Welfare team member Ruth Goller said: “I wanted to get a closer look so clambered on some containers and reached up into the tall tree.
"That's when I saw a nest with mum feeding three kittens right in front of me. I was so glad to have found them. The male was watching from nearby.”
She said: “I was worried the mum was going to move the kittens as she knew we had discovered her nest. The kittens were still only a week old and really small, so we needed to trap her first safely and then we could carefully pick the kittens out of the nest.
“After a few hours waiting the mum came down and went in the trap. That was our chance.
"We went back up the tree and, as the tiny kittens were only a week old, it was easy to pick them out of the nest and put them in a cat carrier.”
The mother and kittens were checked over, while the tom cat was treated for an abscess on his foot.
Cats Protection fosterer Sue Buck said: “He is a good 'dad' to the kittens, washing and playing with them - although he does get a bit annoyed when they mistake him for mum at feeding time.
“They’re a lovely little family. 'Willet' behaves like a doting dad to the kittens, even grooming them. Oriole and Willet are clearly bonded and we would love to think we could rehome the mum and male cat together.”
Kathryn Graves, Secretary of Cats Protection’s Chiltern Branch, said: “It is very unusual for a tom cat to stick around after kittens have been born. In fact, I’ve never seen it before.”