The kittens spend their time snuggled close to Peppa in her basket while she washes them and mothers them like they are her own.

Peppa treats the tiny kittens as her own

A stray pug that is thought to have been used for backstreet breeding has taken three abandoned kittens under her wing.

The kittens - Conker, Pickle and Pumpkin - were born in an abandoned stairwell in London and abandoned by their mother. The tiny kittens were just a day old when they arrived at Battersea Dogs and Cats Home and require bottle-feeding around the clock.

From the moment Peppa the pug laid eyes on the kittens, she decided they were her responsibility. The trio spend their time snuggled close to Peppa in her basket while she washes them and mothers them like they are her own.

Peppa also has a difficult past, having been brought to Battersea in April. Her body showed signs of bearing multiple litters and she was suffering from mastitis. Staff believe she had been used for puppy farming.

She has since been adopted by Louise Taylor, Battersea's canine behaviourist and training advisor, who fostered her while she was recovering from surgery. Louise is now fostering the kittens.

She said: "We knew Peppa had been a mother before and she’s a natural. She won’t let Conker, Pickle and Pumpkin out of her sight and is constantly washing them and making sure they’re all clean. It’s been lovely to see the four of them together, especially knowing these three kittens had such an unlucky start in life."

Image © Battersea Dogs and Cats Home