A MOTHER who formed a bond with a stray cat after she gave birth to kittens was left “totally heartbroken” after they were stolen.

Gaye Hargrove, of Arkley Park, on the cusp of Barnet and Borehamwood, noticed a thin-looking ginger tabby cat roaming around her mobile home in July.

The 82-year-old said the cat, she named Mrs Brown, looked rather thin so decided to take her to the vet to see if she was microchipped.

But before she could, the feline gave birth to six kittens and Mrs Hargrove, who is a widower, was left at a loss of what to do.

After ringing various charities, a woman came forward offering to help and took the kittens and Mrs Brown away – and generous Mrs Hargrove decided to give her £60 for her troubles.

But despite promising to only look after them until they and their mother were strong enough to be taken to a vet, she has now disappeared and is ignoring all of Mrs Hargrove’s calls.

Mrs Hargrove said: “Mrs Brown made herself homely here and I was grateful because I loved her very much. Everyone said she was a wild cat.

“I’ve never experienced kittens before and I had no idea what to do. I rang so many people and charities to see if they could help when the kittens were born, it is unreal – but I didn’t get anywhere.

“Then this woman rang me and we got on so well so I trusted her. I thought I’d give her some petrol money as she’d driven all the way down here. She seemed well-meaning. Now it’s been two months.

“I was trying to be nice and was grateful she was looking after the cats. But now she’s not even taking my calls. She let me down so badly. I don’t have her address. I feel so totally heartbroken.”

The woman returned to Mrs Hargrove’s house twice, accepting more money each time, and even asking for a £20 cheque.

If Mrs Brown did not have an owner, Mrs Hargove, who volunteers for hospitals, had hoped to adopt her as her pet.

But she has not reported the incident to the police and said despite contacting Cats Protection for help, her pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

She added: “I don’t know what she did with that money. She was quite happy to take it, I assumed she’d donate it to a cat charity.

“I don’t like to use the word stolen though, as I will never really know what happened here or what the woman’s intentions were.

“You’ve got no idea how much I miss her. I can’t walk past my kitchen window without seeing Mrs Brown look at me with those eyes, saying she wanted to come in.

“I wish I could walk away and forget about it but me and animals – I just can’t. I really adored Mrs Brown.”