Katie Price left a theatre in Ellesmere Port on Monday carrying one of her newborn kittens after a recent scare that saw two of the litter rushed to a veterinary clinic, the former glamour model said.
Supported by her boyfriend, JJ Slater, Price was pictured carrying a kitten to a waiting car after a performance. She had earlier posted an update on Facebook describing how two of the kittens were found limp and taken to the vet when Slater discovered them unresponsive.
Price told followers that the kittens were born two weeks prematurely and had been bottle-fed in addition to being nursed by their mother. "They were born two weeks premature and we have been bottle feeding them as well as their mum feeding them. But they've all been really healthy," she wrote, adding that the animals were strongly attached to her because she had been feeding them.
She said Slater called to tell her two of the kittens were "not moving". "He showed them me and they were all limp with their tongues out, two of them. I said you need to get them to the vets straight away," she wrote. According to Price, the initial veterinary advice was to put the kittens to sleep, a recommendation she declined. She said she spent about £1,400 on treatment and that the kittens were now home and under close observation.
The kittens were born to a cat named Doris, whom Price said gave birth last month. Price said she had been working around the clock to help Doris care for the litter and had even cancelled a planned holiday to the Isle of Wight to stay with the animals.
Price has faced criticism from animal charities in recent years over pet deaths at her properties. In October she welcomed Doris and two other hairless cats to her home despite calls from some charities for limits on her ownership of animals, and she publicly rejected an offer from the charity PETA that reportedly proposed paying her to stop keeping pets. Price has also added a cocker spaniel named Rookie to her household.
The incident with the kittens came as Price and longtime friend Kerry Katona began a nationwide theatre tour. The pair opened the tour at Marine Hall in Fleetwood over the weekend, where Price recounted elements of her personal life and her 16-year struggle following her divorce from singer Peter Andre. On stage, Price suggested difficulties in her former marriage, saying a manager's involvement had led to a strained dynamic. Katona performed alongside Price and the two told stories about their friendship, families and past marriages.
Reports this year said tensions between Price and Andre intensified following the launch of their daughter Princess's reality show, and footage from the couple's early reality television series has circulated online, prompting renewed public discussion about their past. Price said she was "glad that the truth is now coming out on social media and people are seeing," reflecting changing public perceptions.
Price did not immediately respond to requests for further comment about the kittens or the veterinary treatment. Her Facebook update and public appearances with Katona have been the principal sources of information about the health of the animals and her current tour schedule.