Kittens returned home after hitching ride in van

Daisy was rescued by Cats Protection in July along with her sister Poppy

Two curious kittens who climbed into a gardener's van and were mistakenly taken from their home last month have been returned to their owners.

A rocky start to the kitten's lives last year, when they were found in a sealed plastic box by Cats Protection, has not stopped the pair from developing inquisitive personalities and they often try to climb into owner Reverend Carol Lee's car.

She and her husband Simon, who live in Kirk Sandall, Doncaster, grew concerned one afternoon in March when the kittens did not return at their usual teatime.

Mrs Lee said: "The next morning, we found out [the gardener] had spotted a kitten under his van at one of his stops and had shooed it away for fear of it getting run over."

'Such a relief'

After a fruitless search for the missing pair, called Daisy and Poppy, the couple put up posters and contacted the gardening company Green Thumb.

They also posted on the Doncaster lost and found pets group on Facebook.

Tracey Hawkins, from Green Thumb in Doncaster, said she was a "huge animal lover" and was happy to help by putting the couple in touch with customers on the gardener's route.

One of the customers on the route called to say a kitten was meowing at her door, about half a mile away, at about 23:00 GMT that day.

As Mr and Mrs Lee were leaving to pick the kitten up, they got a message to say the other kitten had returned to a garden she was in earlier that day.

"It was such a relief to have them back home," Mrs Lee said.

Cedric, right, did not jump into the van with the two younger cats

"I don't think they would have been able to find their own way back," she added.

"Everybody was so helpful and supportive and the community really came together to help us find them."

Mrs Lee and her husband adopted their three cats, Cedric, Poppy and Daisy, shortly after Mrs Lee's mother passed away and they lost their older cat Sam, who was 25 when he died.

"They have brought so much pleasure to our lives and really helped me through a difficult time losing my mum," Mrs Lee said.

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