A TINY abandoned kitten with the odds stacked against him has survived risky surgery and found a happy ending with his life-saver.

Nicknamed ‘Piglet’, the ten-day-old kitten was abandoned by his stray mother and was taken into the Blue Cross in Topcliffe, Thirsk.

Kittens of his age need food every few hours and the charity had no idea how long he had been left without his vital mother’s milk.

Luckily for Piglet, Animal Welfare Assistant Jenny Day was prepared to take the tiny feline home for hand-rearing.

She made sure he was getting regular food, even getting up through the night, to make sure he was getting the milk he needed to gain strength.

Piglet’s health was improving and he was enjoying playing with new best pal Lily the Chihuahua.

However, disaster struck when on a regular visit to the vet, he was diagnosed with a rare, life-threatening defect of the oesophagus.

This meant he could never eat solid food and was at risk of becoming malnourished.

He was even at risk of developing serious health issues like pneumonia.

Ms Day said: “We were devastated when the vet told us Piglet was in danger yet again.

“It is vital kittens start eating solid food, without it they don’t have the strength to live like a normal cat and rely on being hand fed a liquid diet for their whole lives.

“Despite his brave fight so far, without an operation he would become weak again.”

The only option was surgery but, with such a rare condition, finding an experienced vet to perform a successful operation would be difficult.

Luckily for Blue Cross and Piglet, Helen Blackburn who is a vet at the charity’s local practice, Skeldale Vets, had experienced the problem before and was confident she could operate as soon as Piglet was big enough.

He continued to be hand reared on a liquid diet by Ms Day for a further month before the procedure could take place.

Happily, the operation went well and vet Ms Blackburn looked after Piglet for another three weeks until he was given the all clear.

She turned out to be more than his life-saving vet as after confessing she had fallen for Piglet she decided to take him on as her own.

He is now a healthy kitten who enjoys life to the full.

Ms Day said: “We are so happy to see Piglet now, fully recovered and back to his cheeky ways.

“He stole all our hearts and we never gave up on him.

“He is a plucky boy who was determined to live.”

As a charity, Blue Cross receives no government funding and relies on generous donations from animal lovers to continue helping pets like Piglet.

To make a donation, or to see other pets needing a loving home at centres across the country, visit bluecross.org.uk.