These seven adorable kittens born in Edinburgh are looking for their forever homes

Last Christmas was extra special for staff at the Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home when one of the cats in their care gave birth to seven kittens on 18 December.

Most cats have three to five kittens so this was an unusually large litter.

The staff at the Seafield institution were a bit concerned as their mother, Tootsie, was such a small cat, weighing in at less than 2kg. Handed into the Home after she was found by the police in an abandoned house, the staff estimated that she was only around 11 months old.

Tootsie was a bit tentative about motherhood at first. However, with some coaxing from the cattery team, she soon settled down to wean her new babies.

But she still needed some extra support, with staff stepping in to take on some of the burden with additional hand feeding.

Now the seven adorable black and white kittens, four boys and three girls, are now 11 weeks old and ready to go to their new homes.

Lindsay Fyffe-Jardine, Interim CEO at Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home, said: “This a good example of why neutering is so important in cats. Tootsie was far too young to be a mother. She didn’t seem to understand what was happening and found it a real struggle. If they hadn’t found their way to Edinburgh Dog and Cat Home there’s a good chance all seven kittens would have died. Luckily our experienced staff were on hand to help, and we are happy to say mother and kittens are doing well and ready to find their forever homes.”

Anyone interested in rehoming one of Tootsie’s kittens should email [email protected] for an application form.