Abandoned kittens adopted by surrogate mum

Lumen was hand-fed, along with Ember, by RSPCA staff on the island

Two abandoned kittens who were hand-reared by RSPCA staff have been adopted by a surrogate mother moved to the Isle of Wight to help them.

Ember and Lumen were fed every two hours by RSPCA staff on the Isle of Wight after they were found.

They helped find a suitable mother with a litter of a similar age from West Sussex's Mount Noddy RSPCA centre, near Chichester, and she and her three kittens were moved to the island.

Ember and Lumen were introduced to the mother, Brook, along with her kittens, and she immediately accepted them as her own.

Brook, her three kittens and Ember and Lumen are getting on well, despite some initial reservations from her kittens

Her three kittens appeared "briefly bemused" at sharing their milk with Ember and Lumen initially, the RSCPA said, but quickly adapted.

Brook, a former stray, and the kittens will remain at the centre and are on course to be put up for adoption in about seven weeks.

"This touching story is a testament to the compassion shown by staff across the RSPCA network," Georgina Davies, cattery manager, said.

"We are deeply grateful to Mount Noddy for working with us to ensure the best possible outcome for this newly blended family.

"And of course, the team and I are looking forward to a little more sleep."