Four kittens whose fur turned pink while they were living at a concrete factory in Redruth have been rescued by a cat charity.

The four-week-old kittens, who all sported the colourful tint, were discovered living rough at the factory in Redruth last Friday and are now being looked after by Cats Protection.

It is thought that the kittens must have come into contact with some red pigment used in concrete manufacturing, which has caused their rather unusual appearance.

However, whilst the kittens’ fur wasn’t deliberately coloured, the charity is keen to emphasise that fur should never be dyed as it could be very harmful to the cat.

The kittens are being cared for by Cats Protection’s Truro Adoption Centre and manager Claire Rowe said: “We see cats of many colours, shapes and sizes but this has to be a first for us."

"We’ve started cleaning them but it is going to take a bit more time to get them all back to their natural colours."

“We think the kittens were abandoned by their mum but we’re hopeful they will fully recover and be able to enjoy a bright, but preferably not pink, future.”

Beth Skillings, Clinical Veterinary Officer at Cats Protection said: “Our priority at the moment is to monitor the kittens closely in case they have ingested or inhaled any of the pigment."

"However, early indications are good so we’re hoping they will come through with a clean bill of health."

"Whilst the kittens’ colour was an accident, I want to stress that cats’ fur should never be dyed in any way as it could cause the cat a great deal of harm."

Named Pink Panther, Clouseau, Dusty and Cerise, the one male and three female kittens should be available for adoption in just over a month’s time, depending on their recovery.

To offer a Cats Protection cat a home, contact the charity’s helpline on 03000 12 12 12 or log on to www.cats.org.uk