A pair of abandoned kittens who were discarded on Christmas Eve have had a fairy-tale ending and been adopted by a loving family.

East Anglian Daily Times: Holly and Ivy were found dumped in Lowestoft on Christmas Eve. Photo: Cats Protection Anglia Coastal.Holly and Ivy were found dumped in Lowestoft on Christmas Eve. Photo: Cats Protection Anglia Coastal. (Image: Archant)

Holly and Ivy were found shivering and alone when Christine Cutts discovered them outside her Lowestoft home on the cold morning of December 24.

They had been left in a small dog cage on the Cats Protection branch coordinator's driveway.

News of the kittens' abandonment sparked outrage among the local community with many wondering who could be so callous as to dump the helpless pair.

Robert Andrews, 41, from Writtle in Chelmsford, was visiting his parents in Brundall when he spotted the story online.

East Anglian Daily Times: Holly and Ivy have found their forever home. Photo: Robert AndrewsHolly and Ivy have found their forever home. Photo: Robert Andrews (Image: Archant)

He said: 'I was at my mum and dad's for Christmas with the kids and the story came up on my mum's Facebook.

'My girls have been on at me to get a cat but I had always refused until I saw those two. I felt so sorry for them.

'It made me feel sick to be honest. To just be abandoned on a driveway in a dog's cage – it really gave me the hump.'

Much to the delight of his five and 10-year-old daughters, Mr Andrews agreed to try give the kittens a new home.

East Anglian Daily Times: Holly and Ivy have found their forever home. Photo: Robert AndrewsHolly and Ivy have found their forever home. Photo: Robert Andrews (Image: Archant)

The 41-year-old added: 'They were ecstatic when I told them; the younger one didn't really understand what was going on but the older one was over the moon.'

The family collected the kittens on Saturday and the pair have already made themselves at home.

Mr Andrews said: 'They have settled in really well. They are wonderful little animals, stunningly beautiful kittens – one of them has got a purr like a JCB.'

However the father is still struggling to comprehend why the cats would have been discarded in the first place.

He said: 'How could anyone be so cruel? If you give an animal a home make sure you are serious because if you an not you are causing trauma to the animal as well.'

Mrs Cutts added: 'It just fantastic isn't it? So fantastic for the cats, they deserve to have a nice home, as all cats do.

'From an unhappy start it is such a lovely ending and hopefully they have found their forever home.'