WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been given a kitten by his young children to keep him company as he approaches his fourth year living at the Ecuadorian embassy in London.

The unnamed ten-week old female kitten, which descended from the original European wildcat, is said to sleep in a top hat for most of the day and prowl the embassy at night.

Australian Assange, 44, has been taking refuge since June 2012 at the embassy in Knightsbridge, West London, and will now be joined by his pet, who will be ‘tweeting’ at @EmbassyCat.

Pet: WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange has been given a kitten by his young children to keep him company

Cute: The unnamed female kitten, which descended from the original European wildcat, will live in West London

On patrol: Australian Assange will now be joined by his new pet, who will be ‘tweeting’ at @EmbassyCat

Assange revealed last October that the wall of his room was plastered with letters from children outlining 'well-drawn' and 'very well detailed escape plans' of him on a flying fox over to Harrods.

But the identifies of his children are something of a mystery. The only major clue, given by an ex-colleague in 2011, is that he has at least four who live in Australia, with the youngest aged five.

Most is known about his eldest son, who is believed to be a software designer in his mid-20s named Daniel. Assange is said to have fathered him in his teens with his then 17-year-old girlfriend.

WikiLeaks said the kitten's name would be chosen by the public and announced next month.

Adorable eyes: The ten-week-old kitten is sleep in a top hat for most of the day and prowl the embassy at night

London hideout: Assange has been living in the Ecuadorian embassy in Knightsbridge for almost four years

Assange has been granted political asylum by Ecuador's government. He is wanted for questioning in Sweden over sex assault allegations against two women, which he has always denied.

Assange's eldest son, who is believed to be a software designer in his mid-20s named Daniel

He fears being transported to the US to be quizzed over the activities of WikiLeaks if he goes to Sweden. But he has said in the past that he would welcome questioning at the embassy.

Last October police stopped standing guard outside the Ecuadorian embassy in London for the first time in more than three years.

Scotland Yard said that it had removed the permanent guard of officers who have been stationed outside ready to arrest Assange since 2012 - at a total cost of £12.6million.

The Metropolitan Police previously said that while they were removing the 24/7 guard outside the embassy they will still do their best to arrest the WikiLeaks founder.

The former hacker still faces immediate arrest should he emerge from the embassy, with police assuring 'every effort' would be made to detain him in order that he can be extradited.

In February, a United Nations working group found that Sweden and Britain were violating Assange’s rights and should release him and award compensation for detaining him without charge.