A MIRACLE kitten has survived two weeks alone in freezing weather before being rescued.

Libby the kitten used at least one of her nine lives after she was abandoned in a country lane near Bishop's Waltham and survived for a fortnight in freezing temperatures.

She was cold, hungry, underweight and had an injured nose after her terrifying ordeal.

Four of her litter mates had been rescued two weeks earlier when a member of the public contacted volunteers at Cats Protection’s Fareham Branch to say she had spotted some kittens in a lane near Botley Park golf course.

Co-ordinator of Cats Protection’s Fareham Branch, Lorri Seymour, said: “It was after 8pm and in the middle of nowhere, so it was very dark and scary – there’s just fields and a narrow lane so we only just got the car down there.

“Members of the public had managed to catch two kittens and we used traps with food inside to catch two others – it took a couple of hours but the kittens were really hungry so they were eventually tempted inside.

“The lady who called us said she’d seen five kittens, but there was no sign of the fifth. We waited as long as we could, but we needed to get the other kittens checked over – it was an awful dilemma.”

By 1am Lorri and fellow Cats Protection volunteer Trudi Farrow had taken the rescued animals to safety, but remained concerned there was another kitten who needed help.

There was no sign of her for two weeks, but against all the odds the same member of the public who had originally spotted the animals called again on Sunday, January 20, to say she’d seen a black kitten in the lane.

“Trudi, her husband Mark and I headed straight back to the lane and, thankfully, this time we managed to find and catch the remaining kitten,” said Lorri.

“It was a miracle Libby was still alive and it was so cold out there I don’t think she would have made it through another night. She must have been terrified.”