Newborn kittens found under a London Underground escalator

A mum and her four newly born kittens have been found living underneath an escalator at a London Underground station.

Staff at Moorgate tube station found the four kittens who are thought to be just a few days old after a woman spotted them, and they called the RSPCA to come and assist.

(c) RSPCA

Staff told the RSPCA that they were worried that the escalator had been due to start test runs at 6pm, so the discovery at 5pm had probably avoided a serious accident for the mum and her kittens.

The RSPCA’s animal welfare officer (AWO) Siobhan Trinnaman was dispatched to help the feline family.

“I headed straight over there but mum was nowhere to be seen. I found the four tiny kittens and moved them to safety before setting a trap for mum.” she said, and then took the kittens to their Harmsworth Animal Hospital.

“They were tiny and still had their eyes closed.”

“I couldn’t leave them there for her to return to as it wasn’t safe and I didn’t want them to get hurt. I was concerned about the mum too but, thankfully, just a few hours later I got a call to say that she’d been safely trapped.”

She went to collect mum who was soon reunited with her kittens at the hospital.

I should warn you, if you press play on the video below with your speakers on, you may die of cute.

She added mum, who isn’t microchipped had a cut on her nose and was a bit thin but otherwise well.

Hospital staff have named the cat Elizabeth after the new Crossrail line being constructed at the station. The kittens – one girl and three boys – have also been given Underground-inspired names: Bow, Colin, Dale and Earl (after Bow Road, Colindale and Earl’s Court).

The cat and her kittens will be cared for by staff until they’re well enough to be moved to one of the rehoming centres.

Anyone who believes Elizabeth may be their cat should contact the RSPCA’s appeal line on 0300 123 8018.

The tube station’s internal location code is MOG, which seems most appropriate.

(c) RSPCA