Gosport cat charity appeals for donations of kitten food to keep a feline family fed

Volunteers from Cats Protection’s Gosport branch are appealing for donations of kitten food after one-year-old Bessie arrived in their care heavily pregnant and due to have kittens any day.

Luckily, fosterer Christine Scott-Reid had already booked a vet appointment for Bessie four days later but on the day she noticed the ex-stray was unsettled and rushed the young mum-to-be early to the appointment.

Bessie gave birth to a ginger male kitten and stayed at the surgery to complete her labour with the vet. A ginger-and-white male kitten was followed by a tortoiseshell female.

All four are doing well and, although barely out of kittenhood herself, Bessie is giving her kittens all the care and attention they need.

Chris said: ‘Bessie took us by surprise as she came in so close to birth. We’re therefore appealing to anyone who would like to help Bessie and her kittens have the best start in life to please donate some kitten food. We would be extremely grateful.

‘Bessie is eating all the kitten food we have at the moment because she needs the extra nutrition it provides to enrich her milk and feed her little trio.’

Bessie’s eating at least five meals a day to keep up with their needs, and once the kittens start to wean in a few weeks they will also need the food so the branch needs as much as it can get.

To donate, contact Chris on 07825 592921 or visit cats.org.uk/gosport/contact-us

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Thank you for reading this story. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on our advertisers and thus our revenues.

The News is more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription to support our journalism. You can subscribe here for unlimited access to Portsmouth news and information online.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism and campaign on your behalf for our city.