A Carlisle vet got more than he bargained for when he went to help a homeless cat – and ended up with a kitten.

Graham Lewis, of Paragon Veterinary Group, was called out after the cat was rescued by Oak Tree Animals Charity at Wetheral.

Graham, who helps provide veterinary care for the charity’s animals, said: “She was brought in as a stray and I checked her over on one of my visits.

“She was a friendly little cat and obviously heavily pregnant. Within a week she had given birth to six kittens.

“They stayed at Oak Tree for nine weeks and we did their vet checks and neutered them ready for their new owners.”

However, one of the kittens, now named Pickle, worked his charms on Graham who ended up taking him home.

“I have never known a kitten so confident and interested in people,” he said. “I think it is a tribute to the staff at Oak Tree who have done such a good job rearing them all. He is quite a character.”

All the kittens and their mum now have good homes.

Paragon Veterinary Group has centres at Dalston and Newbiggin near Penrith and opened a new branch at Oak Tree in Wetheral in 2019.

Graham says: “Oak Tree does a really good job making sure the dogs and cats are all healthy and up to date with their vaccinations before looking to rehome them.

Paragon Veterinary Group’s surgery at Oak Tree is open three days a week and is staffed by the same small animal vet team based at Dalston, with full online links to records.