Russian cat adopts eight hedgehogs

Eight orphaned hedgehogs have survived against the odds at a zoo in the Russian city of Vladivostok, after a kindly cat became their surrogate mum. Muska the cat adopted the spiky brood after their mother died in a lawn-mowing accident.

The tiny hoglets, as they are known, had refused milk from a syringe, a bottle, and a saucer for two days, according to Sadgorod Zoo. At night, the babies had a heating pad to stimulate their digestion. Still, nothing helped.

As Muska had recently raised a litter of foster kittens, she had milk to offer - so the zoo decided to try the unusual pairing. The hungry orphans reacted to her bodily warmth and the smell of milk, and soon began to nurse. The good-natured cat proceeded to feed the hedgehogs for more than a week and comfort them at night, Russia's Vesti reports.

The fragile youngsters are now eating on their own, although their feline guardian is still keeping an eye on proceedings.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-40720327