Just two weeks ago, five tiny kittens arrived at The Cotswolds Dogs & Cats Home. Patricia, Patrick, Pamela, Pauline, and Petunia, they were estimated to be just five weeks old.

We soon discovered that four of the five had been born with abnormalities. Two have no tails at all, while two have small, stumpy, deformed tails.

For the past two weeks, our team has been working around the clock, doing everything Mum would normally do: feeding them, keeping them clean and warm, helping with litter training, grooming, and monitoring their weight and development.

And slowly, patiently, teaching them that people aren’t something to be afraid of, and slowly, it’s working.

They’re gaining weight. They’re getting stronger. And those frightened little kittens are beginning to come out of their shells.