Kitten's life saved - with a pen

The kitten is lucky to be alive

A tiny kitten feared dead at birth was brought back to life - thanks to some quick-thinking and a ballpoint pen.

Clever Viv Harris took out the centre of a pen and used the plastic tube to blow air into the kitten's lungs.

Within seconds, the newborn ginger tom spluttered into life, started taking gulps of air and began mewing for milk.

It is now recovering at Viv's animal sanctuary, All Creatures Great and Small, in Cwmbran, south Wales.

"It was a fantastic feeling," she said. "I never realised something as simple as a plastic biro could be so useful. He's a lovely little thing."

The kitten's mother had been taken to Viv's animal sanctury when heavily pregnant. He was the only survivor out of the litter of four, and Viv was dermined not to give up on him when he suddenly stopped breathing.

"He was so tiny that I needed something that would get to the back of his throat and the pen was the nearest thing to hand," she explained.

'Delicate procedure'

"I have revived various animals but never one as small as this one. It was a very delicate procedure.

"After blowing for several seconds the kitten took a few gasps of air and started breathing normally."

The kitten is now three weeks old and has made a full recovery.

He has been named Alfie Moon after the EastEnders character played by actor Shane Ritchie, and is looking for a loving home.