A RESCUED stray cat who gave birth in a garden shed has taken on another rescue kitten as her own.

The black cat, who is thought to have been abandoned by its owners, gave birth to two kittens in a garden shed in Shoebury.

Braintree and Witham Times:

Family - Blackberry with her kittens

Braintree and Witham Times:

Surprise - Mia had no idea Blackberry (or Fluffy, as she had named her) was pregnant

And since being taken in by an animal rescue centre, she has even taken another another kitten under her wing.

Mia Cutler, 17, who lives at home with her mum Tanya, said: “This cat used to live in a house behind our garden but they moved out and didn’t take her with them so, since then, we’ve been feeding her and the other stray cats that like to come in the garden.

“We called her Fluffy. During the winter we made a little den in the shed out of pillows and blankets for the stray cats to sleep in.

“Then about two weeks ago we looked in the shed and there were two tiny kittens curled up with Fluffy.

“We had no idea she was pregnant so it was quite a surprise to us.”

Mia then posted on a Facebook page on Saturday in a bid to find Fluffy and her kittens a new home.

The founders of Tilly’s Angels, Helene Leader, and Lost and Found Pets in Great Wakering founder Pat Davies, - organisations in south Essex dedicated to rehoming and re-uniting lost pets - saw the post and intervened. due to the dangers of people trying to obtain free animals for malicious reasons.

They put the family in touch with Woodland Animal Rescue, run by two vets.

Mia added: “The people at Woodland Animal Rescue got in contact and told me that they would be happy to foster them and look after them, as well as the fact they had a little orphan kitten who was in desperate need of a surrogate mum to survive.

“So that evening they came round and we said our goodbyes, as we’d become quite attached to Fluffy, who has now been renamed Blackberry, and off they went.”

The newly named Blackberry is very under weight and the team at Woodland Animal Rescue are now working to bring her back up to a healthy weight.

A spokesman for Woodland Animal Rescue, said: “The family who found Blackberry were so caring and had already named the little kittens, Shadow and Spitfire.

“They even so kindly donated towards any treatment they may need which was so kind of them and genuinely meant a lot.

“We tried to introduce another little kitten we have to Blackberry she accepted her as her own.”

Nationally, animal rescue centres have been inundated with stray and unwanted cats.

Braintree and Witham Times:

Resting - Blackberry and her litter