A HEARTBROKEN pet owner who lost one of her cats after a stay in a cattery has accused them of failing to provide proper care.

Alisha Jahn and partner Mark Molloy left their four sphynx cats – girls Cruella and Cleo, and boys Prince and Abe – with Blairadam Luxury Boarding Kennels before flying off for a winter sunshine holiday to Tenerife on New Year's Eve.

But the Hill of Beath couple said their relaxing break turned into a nightmare when, two days before they were due to return home, they were informed that Cruella had died and Cleo – who was pregnant – was taken to the vet suffering with a low temperature.

Although she survived, the litter of five kittens that she was carrying was lost and devastated Alisha said: "We went away on December 31 and we'd previously contacted them 4-5 times to say that sphynx cats need heat. We wouldn't have put our cats in there if we thought they were not going to be looked after properly.

"They knew that Cleo was pregnant and that she hadn't been vaccinated before going in, but they assured us that was fine. We told them that the door needed to be kept shut and the heating needed to be on 24/7 but, when we went in, the heating wasn't on. They said it wouldn't take long to heat up and I trusted it.

"Two days before we were coming home, we were told that one of our cats had died and one was taken to the vet in an emergency. Cleo wasn't well; her temperature was so low and the five kittens were lost. My partner's mum got the boys out of there but their temperatures were dropping dramatically as well.

"We had to sit on holiday knowing that one of our cats was dead and that another could die. It was horrible."

She continued: "Cleo was in an incubator, was dehydrated and starving. When we got home, we had to take Cruella for an autopsy and they found that her temperature was low, she was dehydrated and had no food in her system. She basically died from hypothermia.

"They should know the breed and how to look after them. They're supposed to be professional.

"We're still devastated."

The couple reported the incident to the Scottish SPCA, whose chief inspector John Chisholm said: "We can confirm that we visited a property in the Kelty area following a complaint regarding cats. We visited the property and have given advice in regards to a more robust monitoring system.

"Anyone with any concerns about animal welfare should call our Animal Helpline on 03000 999 999."

When we contacted Blairadam Luxury Boarding Kennels for a response, they said that while they were "devastated" over the incident, they did not wish to make any further comment.