Kittens found malnourished in 'dark and dirty' sheds find forever families

Four kittens found living in squalid conditions in a West Lothian shed have been given a fresh start in life after finding new homes.

The animals were discovered in dark, poorly ventilated and unclean sheds and chicken coops at an address near Winchburgh in May last year, alongside eight other cats.

They were taken into the care of the Scottish SPCA and have since recovered and been rehomed.

Clayton Hopwood and his mother, Deborah, pleaded guilty to failing to meet the needs of the 12 cats.

He was fined £730, plus a victim surcharge and banned from dealing in animals for eight months.

Hopwood also pleaded guilty to breeding kittens without the required licence, while Deborah was admonished.

Billy Boss and Toulouse are thriving, says SSPCA SSPCA

The kittens were discovered after a buyer who had bought a cat from Hopwood contacted the animal welfare charity with concerns.

In total, 12 cats were found at the address, four of which had moderate to severe ear mite infestations.

A year on, four of the kittens discovered have found their forever homes.

Two of them, now named Maya and Casper, are living with owner John Boyle and are doing well, settling into their home.

The other two, Billy Boss and Toulouse, meanwhile, have found love with Canadian expat Caitlin Starr.

She said: “The first night that I met them, I sat in the living room with them and I decided then and there that I had to keep them.

“I got in touch with the Scottish SPCA the next day and applied to adopt them and since them officially being my cats, they have become the most cuddly, fun and rambunctious kittens that you could ever meet.”

Caitlin, who moved to a small cottage in Edinburgh in Trinity, added: “They have their very own adventure space.

The kittens were discovered in a shed SSPCA

“We thought that Toulouse was going to be the shy one but he’s turned out to be really adventurous and outgoing, whereas Billy Boss is the one who waits for his brother to figure out what’s going on.

“When I was born, my parents actually had two rescue cats named Cosmo and Kramer, and my dad then adopted a cat called Wink.

“Wink has grown up with so many people around the house, so I learned to spot what a cat needs.

“It’s nostalgic to have two cats of my own now.

“The best part is when I went home to Canada at Christmas, my mum still had the two food bowls that she used to feed Cosmo and Kramer, so I brought them back to Scotland, and now Billy Boss and Toulouse are fed from the bowls that my childhood cats were fed from.

“It’s this full circle moment for me, which is really nice.”