Chef Pete McNab was out for a walk in the Cairngorms National Park, in the Scottish Highlands, with his baby son Alistair, when he spotted a group of sheep.
As Pete grew closer, the herd scattered, revealing a tiny tabby kitten lying alone in the snow.
The freezing cold cat was unable to get back on its feet, so Pete’s friend Piotr Peretko carried it three miles back into town.
Along the way, he joked that the kitty could be a Scottish Wildcat, a rare and endangered breed, thanks to its razor sharp claws.
It turns out that joke wasn’t so wild.
After the kitten was left at the vets on Wednesday January 13, Pete began searching for its owner on Facebook – but no one came forward.
Piotr and his partner began planning to get a cat bed and rehome the kitten – but the following day the vet, in Grantown, Highlands, confirmed a specialist had identified it as a Scottish Wildcat.
There are only around 100 to 300 Scottish Wildcats living in the wild. The species is the rarest in the UK and one of the most endangered in Europe.
Dad-of-three Pete said: ‘Piotr found him and picked him up, he was absolutely tiny, he must have only been a couple of months old.
‘I grew up with cats and so did my friend who I found him with.
‘At first we thought it was a domestic cat which had run away, it was absolutely freezing and its coat was matted from lying in the snow.
‘My friend had a proper bonding session with it, he took it to the vet and I posted on local Facebook groups trying to track down the owner.
‘He was looking forward to rehoming the cat if nobody came forward, they wanted to get him a cat bed, they phoned the vets and the cat was starting to revive.
‘But due to his personality the vets began to suspect he was a wildcat.
‘It was a massive blow for my friend, there was a bath on the cards for the cat if he got it back, I doubt that would have ended well now we know it’s a wildcat.’
Vets said it was incredible that Piotr was able to carry the kitten all the way home, as Wildcats are known for their claws being vicious weapons.
Sadly, despite attempts to revive the kitten, who vets called Huntleigh, the animal passed away on Friday.
But he caused some good before he died, as Huntleigh’s discovery inspired Pete and Piotr to start a fundraiser to raise £1,000 for a charity helping wildcats – which has raised more than £4,000.
Peter was contacted by the Royal Zoological Society which is part of the breeding programme, to say it had boosted their fundraising too.
Pete, originally from Glasgow, added: ‘It has been a whirlwind of events.’
To donate towards the cause in Huntleigh’s memory, head to the GoFundMe page.
Do you have a story to share?
Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@Metro.co.uk.
MORE : Couple give up buying any food for one year – only eating what they grow or catch
MORE : Kitten given up because he was ‘too playful’ finds a loving home in time for Christmas
MORE : Watch remarkable moment endangered spider monkey gives birth in Birmingham zoo
