Fleur-de-lis cat rescues new-born kitten by staring down a prowling fox

Ozzy, a one-year-old black cat, faced down the predator as it stalked the helpless kitten - believed to be Ozzy's own offspring.

Luckily, his owner noticed something was wrong, and was able to scare the fox away before the tense stand-off escalated.

The unusual incident unfolded on Friday night (May 3), when Ozzy's owner Sarah Williams, 45, noticed that he was acting very strangely.

"I was watching telly and he came in and was acting a bit odd," Ms Williams told the South Wales Argus.

(Ozzy looking over his rescued kitten)

"When I took a closer look I realised he had brought a new born kitten in with him. The poor thing was dead, and it still had the umbilical cord attached - so it can't have been more than a day old."

Early the next morning, Ms Williams woke up to Ozzy growling and meowing out in the garden of their Fleur-de-lis home in Blackwood.

It was such unusual behaviour that she ran out with a torch to see what was going on, and was shocked to see Ozzy staring down a fully-grown fox.

(The suspected parents - Ozzy and an unknown black female cat)

"When I ran out with the torch, the fox ran away. I just couldn't believe it - that's something you don't usually see.

"After I took Ozzy back inside I could hear a strange meowing. It was coming from where he'd been staring down the fox.

"Under the bush there was another new-born kitten - this time alive."

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Hardly believing her eyes, Ms Williams rushed the kitten inside and wrapped it in blankets before getting in touch with Gwent Cats Protection. A volunteer from the charity arrived at 6am the next morning to check the kitten over.

"Gwent Cats Protection were so good - I can't thank them enough," said Ms Williams.

(Tommy the kitten is being nursed back to health by Gwent Cats Protection)

"The work they do is incredible, and it was no trouble for them to come up almost straight away."

Tommy - as the lucky kitten as been christened - is now being hand-nursed by Gwent Cats Protection volunteers, and Ms Williams hopes to be able to bring him home after she moves house.

"I'm fairly sure that Ozzy is the father of the two kittens. He had the snip on March 1, which is only around nine weeks ago.

"He is always following around another black female cat, and these kittens were both jet black. It makes sense that they're his - why else would he be so protective and risk his own life like that?

(Ozzy with owner Sarah Williams)

"People just can't believe it. I've never heard of even a female cat acting like that around a kitten.

"I'm so proud of him. I think he's just amazing."