TWO kittens stolen from a rescue centre near Edinburgh have been recovered, according to its bosses.

Staff at Lothian Cat Rescue in Bonnyrigg say the ordeal has left them feeling "shocked, angry and vulnerable".

1 The cats are now back at the centre

Last night they claimed two tiny cats had been nicked after a group of seven visiors appeared at the centre.

They said two members split from the rest and stole the two kittens from their pen.

Bosses say they have CCTV of the entire incident and said police had been made aware of the incident.

The families set to get these cats were left "utterly distraught" by news of the theft.

****UPDATE 25th: 3pm......WE HAVE THE KITTENS BACK :-) :-) :-) We are so DELIGHTED to be able to confirm that, thanks... Posted by Lothian Cat Rescue on Saturday, August 24, 2019

But now the cats have been "recovered" and are back in the safety of their temporary homes.

The centre shared a heartwarming video of the kittens being reunited.

They wrote: "We are so DELIGHTED to be able to confirm that, thanks to social media and great on-the-ground detective work from our staff and volunteers, the kittens have been safely recovered from the house to which they had been taken. Both kittens are well and are back at our shelter.

As promised. Here are Latte and Tiny Tim being happily reunited with their siblings. Tiny Tim was more intent on exploring the corridor than saying hello to his brother 😂 Here come the happy, relieved tears 😂❤️❤️❤️ Please note: per post pinned to top of page these kittens are reserved. Our waiting list for kittens is also currently full. Posted by Lothian Cat Rescue on Sunday, August 25, 2019

"This is the first time since our shelter opened its doors in 1993 that animals have been stolen from us, and we are left feeling feeling shocked, angry and vulnerable. The welfare and safety of the animals in our care is of paramount importance to us, and we will be reviewing our safety and security procedures to minimise the chances of a situation like this happening again.

"We will pop a separate post up shortly showing the reunion of the kittens with their siblings for those who would like to see. Have the tissues ready!"

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The centre had promised not to press charges if the kittens were returned - claiming they just want them back.

It's currently unclear where the cats were found.

Police Scotland have been approached for comment.

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