Fantastic recovery for Mr Fox thanks to trio of orphaned kittens

'It was very sweet, the cats needed something to snuggle up to and they loved his fur'

A blinded fox cub left for dead by a speeding car has been helped back to health by his unusual pals - a group of orphaned kittens.

The injured animal was found with severe head injuries by the side of a dual carriageway in Sidcup, Kent, after he was hit by a car in April.

It was taken to Kent Wildlife Rescue, given an intravenous drip and put in an induced coma for four days to avoid being killed by seizures.



While still unconscious, the fox was put into a cage with three orphaned kittens which were found in a box at the bottom of a log pile near Leeds Castle, Kent.

Amazingly, the cats immediately began to groom the animal and snuggled up to him as he slowly came out of the coma.

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The cub, which was not even expected to survive the ordeal, then began to regain his sight and health after just five days.

Now the fox has made a full recovery and formed an incredible bond with the feline friends.

Lorraine St John, 40, who runs the rescue centre, said: 'The biggest killer you get at animal shelters is not the injuries or illness but stress.

'It is so important to create comfort for the animals as it really makes the difference to their survival.

'That is what happened in this case - we put the three kittens with the fox and they became best friends.

'It was very sweet, the cats needed something to snuggle up to and they loved his fur.

'One of them used to lick him all the time as he slowly came out of his coma.

'Once awake the four of them became best friends and the kittens acted like a guiding light to the fox as he regained his sight.'

The cub has since been sent to Fox Protect in Tunbridge Wells to complete his rehabilitation before he can be released back into the wild.

The three kittens are still waiting to be re-homed.

Lorraine, who runs Kent Wildlife Rescue on her own, added: 'It was amazing to see the four of them together it was like they were all part of the same species.

'I think they all helped save each other’s lives.'