Scotland’s animal welfare charity was alerted on Tuesday when a gardener at the Abbotsford Hotel found the cat and her litter.

Unfortunately, the mother ran away so the kittens were taken into the care of the charity’s nearby animal rescue and rehoming centre in Milton.

However, not to be deterred, Jen Newman and Ally Bibby from the Scottish SPCA set a humane trap for mum and she was reunited with her babies the following day.

Senior animal care assistant Jen Newman said, “The kittens were found shivering on a shelf next to an old pot of paint. As their mum had run away, we had no option but to remove them and hope to catch her later.

“We set a humane cat trap with some tasty food inside along with a towel the kittens had been wrapped in. I took the kittens home with me that evening and bottle fed them throughout the night.

“The next morning there was still no sign of their mother so we put the blanket the kittens had slept on inside the trap to try and entice her in with their scent.

“Thankfully this worked a treat and the kittens and their mother were so happy to be reunited.

“Mum, who we’ve called Sophie, is estimated to be 18 months old. Her kittens, who are around a week old, have been named Fergus, Freddy and Fay.

“Sadly, Sophie isn’t microchipped so we would appeal to anyone who recognises her to get in touch as it may be that she ran away from home just before giving birth.

“If no one comes forward we’ll find Sophie and her kittens loving new homes.” Anyone who recognises Sophie is being urged to contact the Scottish SPCA’s centre in Dumbarton on 03000 999 999.