Few fans of 70s sitcom On the Buses would have wanted to adopt Blakey or Olive – but an animal rescue centre is hoping that a family of cats found on a London bus will be more appealing than their namesakes!
A furry trio, Blakey, Olive and Mildred (not a character in the show), recently arrived at Suffolk and Essex Small Animal Welfare (SESAW) in Leavenheath from the capital.
Delivered to the centre by a Colchester-based Metropolitan Police officer, the felines – thought to be a father, mother and daughter – were discovered on the bus in a box tied up with string.
He had originally intended to give them a home, but soon discovered that the cats and his dog were not getting along.
Now the trio are in need of a loving home.
“The family of three cats were found on a London bus in a cardboard box tied up with string,” said SESAW founder Maggie Jackaman.
“Seems too improbable to be true, but it was and they were handed to the police in London and eventually arrived here.
“A policeman who works in London and lives in Colchester tried to home them but I don’t think they got on very well with his dog.
“Due to the similarities we assume it’s dad, a very young mother and daughter.”
The mother was pregnant when she arrived – and has since produced another litter of kittens at the sanctuary.
Ms Jackaman added: “As she had obviously only just weaned one litter she really was not in the best of conditions to produce another lot.
“She had four in total, sadly one did not make it.
“We are looking to home the original family as one unit as they are very close.
“Dad stands back to allow mother and daughter to feed, while the daughter is a great help to her mother looking after the kittens.”
Anyone looking to adopt a family of three cats can contact 01787 210888 and leave a message with a contact number if the call is not answered.
SESAW is dedicated to the care, rescue and re-homing of domestic or wild animals in need and is a registered charity.
For more information on SESAW or how to support the charity, visit www.sesaw.co.uk
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