Elusive kittens found in factory set to be rehomed

A litter of elusive kittens are looking for new homes after being rescued from a factory with the help of an infrared camera and "coordinated stakeouts".

Workers at the JELD-WEN door manufacturing company in Sheffield launched the "full-scale rescue mission" after discovering the stray litter "dotted about" the site in containers while they were preparing to relocate.

They initially believed the kittens belonged to a local stray cat, affectionately nicknamed Timber, who was regularly fed and cared for by employees at the Retford Road site.

But when workers from the firm discovered Timber was male, they realised they needed to find the kittens' mother and ensure they were all cared for.

The real mother, described as "a stealthy white ninja" by employees, had been hiding the litter around the site and sneaking in for food after Timber had eaten.

Workers enlisted the help of animal welfare charity Save a Stray, who used a thermal imaging camera to track the kittens.

Following several days without sightings, employees also combed through CCTV footage to try and trace where the mum and kittens were hiding.

"Thanks to the dedication of employees and rescue volunteers, all kittens were eventually found, vaccinated and placed into foster care through Save a Stray," a spokesperson for JELD-WEN said.

"They are now awaiting rehoming in pairs."

They added: "Timber has since been neutered, treated for an injured paw and successfully adopted by a new family."

"If JELD-WEN hadn't taken time to care for Timber in the first place, we might have never discovered the stray litter and its mother in need of help," the Save A Stray charity said.

"It's thanks to the kindness and dedication of the staff that we've now rescued all the on-site cats and are actively working to find the kittens and mum a safe home."

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