Three kittens found abandoned in school bin

Only one of three kittens found in a bin has survived

Three kittens - thought to only be days old - were found in a school bin by a cleaner.

Cleaner Shane Corderoy found the kittens inside a bin at Torquay Academy on Friday - it is thought they were abandoned by their stray mother.

He said he was "gobsmacked" when he first saw the kittens after he thought the noises coming from the bin were rats or mice.

Zara Oldfield, founder of Hector's House Cat Rescue, said only one of the kittens had survived and was currently battling an eye infection.

Mr Corderoy said: "The poor little things couldn't open their eyes.

"I just wanted to get the kittens in a safe area, so we put them in a box and made them comfortable."

He took the kittens to Hectors House who put them in an incubator.

Zara Oldfield said they named the surviving kitten Audley

Mr Corderoy said: "The poor little kittens were freezing, we don't know how long they were there for.

"Two of them didn't do too well and passed away but one of them is still alive."

Asked how he felt to have saved the kittens he said: "It feels great. If I don't take him on, someone else will and grow to love it like I do."

Ms Oldfield explained the kittens were "extremely small, young and cold" and were in the incubator for "at least five hours" and were given glucose and hydrated.

'No sign of mother'

"We were hopeful they would make it, but unfortunately by Saturday lunchtime one had intermittent breathing and was not doing well at all and passed away," she said.

"The second passed away about a couple of hours later."

She said the third cat, named Audley, was "doing well", however, an infection in his eye was being treated with eyedrops.

While the kittens were in the incubator, she said three traps were set up near the bin to secure the mother, however, it was not successful. She also contacted the school to review 24 hours of CCTV, but there was no sign of the mother.

She said they would continue to search for the stray mother.

Ms Oldfield said: "My priorities were to get the kittens warm, and getting mum secured so we could reunite them."