A surrogate cat mum has taken on a three-legged kitten who was found abandoned at the side of the road with its paw hanging off.

The kitten was just two weeks old when it was found with the injuries in Canterbury last Monday (March 3).

The moggie was taken to a vet by a member of the public, and his right back paw was amputated to stop him from experiencing further pain.

The kitten, named Comet, will also need to have another operation to remove the whole leg as it sadly cannot be saved.

After the initial treatment, Comet was taken to the RSPCA's Canterbury and District Branch in Island Road where he was introduced to a female tabby cat called Twinkle in the hope she would become his surrogate mother.

Staff recorded the moment Twinkle, who has just lost five of her own babies, was introduced to Comet and accepted him as her own immediately by sniffing and then grooming him next to her own kitten.

It is unclear whether Comet was abandoned or found as an injured stray.

However, branch manager Natalie Archer insists he couldn't have found a more loving surrogate mum.

She said: “Twinkle came from a multi-cat household where the owner had asked for help rehoming some of her cats and getting them neutered as they were struggling to access affordable neutering.

"It was a hard decision to rehome some of her cats but she did so with their best interest at heart.

“Twinkle came into us as she was heavily pregnant and struggling to give birth which resulted in an emergency c-section being carried out over the weekend.

"Very sadly she lost all but one of her six kittens as they were either born dead or had severe deformities which meant she was left with just the one kitten who we named Little Star.

“She is the nicest mumma and so we were hopeful she would take to Comet and so pleased when she did! Now she is feeding him, grooming him, and cuddling him alongside her other kitten and it’s so lovely to see.

“Surrogacy is a great way to give very young rescue kittens the care and attention they need when they are too young to be away from their mums. I’m very pleased to say that mum cat Twinkle and the two kittens are now doing really well.”

The RSPCA says the latest figures from February this year show there were 1,702 abandonment incidents reported to the charity compared to 1,405 in February last year - a 21% increase.

Likewise, 1,972 abandonment incidents were reported to the RSPCA in January - compared to 1,471 incidents during the same period in 2024.

The charity says those who find themselves struggling can use several animal welfare charities who can offer help and advice and anybody in a difficult situation is urged to seek support.

The RSPCA has launched a dedicated cost-of-living hub to signpost the help out there for owners and the charity also has more than 200 Pet Food Bank Partnerships across the country to support people.