Jack Russell takes on surrogate mum role for six abandoned kittens - even producing milk

A devoted Jack Russell has become an unlikely mum to six abandoned kittens - and is even producing milk for them. Teasel, aged two, stepped up when owner Sue Stubley took in the kittens from a neighbour after they had been abandoned by their own mother.

She quickly embraced her new found motherhood and for two-and-a half weeks Teasel has been cleaning, snuggling, and even feeding the kittens. Sue, who runs Suffolk Hedgehog Hospital, said: “Initially Teasel was trying to get near to the kittens, and I was scared she was going to go for them.

“I was letting her sniff them and then she licked one of them, then I realised she actually just wanted to cuddle them rather than maim them. Now she’s looking after them completely, it’s amazing.”

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The kittens were discovered outside in the rain abandoned by Sue's neighbour, who lives just outside Newmarket, Suffolk. After receiving a panicked call, Sue stepped-in and agreed to home the kittens.

But little did she know that her pet dog Teasel would do most of the heavy lifting. Amazingly, Teasel has even begun to lactate from the kittens suckling on her, despite her having never had puppies.

It has allowed Sue more time to look after 154 hedgehogs who have been taken in at the hedgehog hospital she runs in the past two weeks. The kittens are now due to be neutered, de-wormed and micro-chipped before getting a new start in loving homes.

Sue said: “We are sending them to cat lovers, which is nice to know that they are going to good homes. I am hopeless at saying no to any animals that need a home.”

This summer Sue has looked after a whole menagerie of animals