A PAIR of kittens with the odds stacked against them have become firm friends after charity volunteers united them in the hope of finding them a forever home together.

Tiny Burrito was found under a hedge in Swindon. His finder had intended to keep him and started to hand-rear the one-week old ginger and white kitten but her existing cat had other ideas - hissing and growling at the new addition, so he was signed over to the Blue Cross at Burford.

At about the same time, Bean was born alongside five other siblings to his mother Suzie, who was already at Burford.

Jenna Martyn, the manager of the Blue Cross, Burford, said: “One-year-old Suzie was transferred to us from our animal hospital in London after her previous owners moved house and left her behind.

“Her kitten Bean was born here with a deformed front right limb but seemed to get on fine at first.”

But the team soon noticed the grey and white kitten was spending more time away from her mum and siblings and wasn’t gaining weight as quickly as expected.

“So we decided to hand-rear Bean and Burrito together as they were a similar age in the hope that they would develop and play together,” said Jenna.

“Happily, it seems our plan has worked. Selina Bennett, who has been hand-rearing the kitten, tells me the kittens, who are now around five weeks old, are both doing well and have become firm friends.

“I’m sure they’ll both have no problem finding the pawfect new family when they are ready to be rehomed.

“Meanwhile, our horse unit has welcomed another baby - eight-year-old Skewbald Cob Christine gave birth to little James. The team has named the foal after one of the workers from Cannings Hire in Wantage who kindly lent us a cherry picker to fit our foaling camera in the stable block.”

If you would like to rehome a Blue Cross pet visit www.bluecross.org.uk