Motorway kitten rescue sparks safety warning to drivers

National Highways Traffic Officer Karen Reed went down to Junction 4 of the M27 near Southampton after the call came into the South East Regional Operations Centre alerting them that members of the public were seen on the hard shoulder trying to catch them.

Control room operators were eventually able to spot the kittens on CCTV and sent a team to rescue them.

Caption: The second kitten successfully captured in the Cats Protection cage.

Karen went back to the area on her late shift and initially there was no sign of them but when she returned later, she spotted a little black and white kitten. By the time she got over the barrier it had disappeared.

Her colleague Traffic Officer Mike Whyatt continued keeping an eye out for them along with the camera operators in the regional control room.

In the end, Karen had to think fast to keep them away from danger and to stop the public from making rescue attempts in live traffic.

She said: “We came up with a plan to take some food, my miniature dachshunds' travel crate, towels, water and a hot water bottle back to the area as it was getting cold in the evenings.”

Karen also contacted the local Cats Protection branch for assistance. The next day, she and fellow Traffic Officer Marcelle Styles left a trail of food leading to a cage supplied by the charity which was successfully used to capture the kittens in. 

The little black and white kitten is now living with Karen and her family. She said: “The girls have called him Binx. They chose this name as it's nearly Halloween and they love Hocus Pocus. The other kitten has been called Biscuit and now living with Mike, the other traffic officer who was key to their rescue.”

Karen added: “I cannot thank those working at the South East Regional Operations Centre enough. They kept checking the camera day and night and keeping us up to date with any sightings. This truly was a team effort involving both control operators and my on road traffic officer colleagues based at Easton Lane Outstation - I’m so proud to be part of such a great team.”

Caption: Binx is back at home recovering well following vet treatment to remove his injured tail

The kittens’ adventures have also highlighted the importance of warning people of the dangers of trying to rescue animals on the motorway.

Karen said: “Our roads have a lot of fast-moving traffic, so it is crucial that if you see an animal on a motorway, never put yourself in a dangerous situation. You can call the National Highways Customer Contact Centre on 0300 123 5000 and help will arrive.

“By walking along a hard shoulder, you are putting yourself and other road users in danger.”

Caption: Biscuit happy at his new home.

Liz Steele is a full-time volunteer for the Southampton branch of Cats Protection. She said: "This is one of the more unusual cat rescues that I've been involved with. After the call for help I met up with Traffic Officer Mike - we went  together to set up the trap to capture the kittens in a safe place in the woods away from the carriageway. 

"We carefully checked there were no further kittens stranded by the motorway and I'm thrilled that there's a happy outcome for this pair - it's wonderful to hear they've been given loving homes by their rescuers."