A cat rescue shelter in Midlothian is desperately appealing for the return of two kittens which were stolen from its pen on Saturday.
Lothian Cat Rescue in Bonnyrigg say one of the kittens had already been reserved by a family and another would have been adopted shortly afterwards.
In a post on Facebook, they said a group of seven people entered the shelter on Saturday and asked to be shown around.
As staff were busy and distracted, two people from the group entered the kitten pen and took the two animals.
One of the stolen kittens is a ragdoll-type whose mother was killed in a road crash and the other is a silver tabby.
Lothian Cat Rescue said: "These kittens were reserved for rehoming by other families, who are utterly distraught that 'their' kittens currently won’t be heading home as planned.
"We want to get these kittens back. It is beyond comprehension that one would intentionally steal from another.
"Stealing vulnerable, living creatures from a charity is despicable."
CCTV shows the cats being taken from the pen but the footage has not been released. It also shows the group leaving the shelter with a cat box and getting into a car outside.
The incident has been reported to the police and people have been encouraged to share pictures of the cats in case they are sold on.
Love pets? So do we! Join our friendly Facebook group Edinburgh Loves Pets to chat with other pet lovers in the city.
To receive one WhatsApp message a day with Edinburgh Live's headlines, as well as breaking news alerts, text NEWS to 07899067815. Then add the number to your contacts as 'Edinburgh Live'.
For more stories from across the Edinburgh area like our Facebook page, or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our newsletter: enter your email in the blue box at the top of this article.
