The Cuan Wildlife Rescue center in the United Kingdom started out as a charity back in 1990 to help out any wild animals in need.

Their operations are fairly broad: they rescue and take care of a whole bunch of wild animals and birds who have been injured, left behind, orphaned or are otherwise sick.

The animal center in Shropshire also hopes that they can educate the public about wildlife rescues, as they encounter more than 4,800 wildlife casualties on their own and would do anything to bring that number down.

“I often get asked why we do what we do. My answer is simple. The vast majority of the wild creatures that come into a rescue centre is a result of man’s interference, be it accidental or deliberate. Road casualties, traps, snares, poisons, litter, shooting, garden ponds and many more inflict suffering, misery and death on innocent creatures. If we were not here doing what we do, many of these creatures would die an unthinkable death,” founder Megan Morris-Jones wrote on their website.

A nearby cat shelter brought in a couple of kittens, and there was one four-footer who definitely stood out.

After a bit of investigating, it turns out that this kitten actually wasn’t a kitten at all. It’s not hard to understand why there was confusion, however, as younger animals tend to look alike.

The kitten they rescued was actually an adorable little fox cub!

Kittens are born all year long, but fox cubs are typically welcomed to the world in or around February and March.

Their coats are fluffy, their faces are still quite smushed and underdeveloped, and their ears are still folded.

In other words: the resemblance to a kitten is striking at first sight.

After the animal shelter discovered that this kitten wasn’t who they thought she was, they decided to transfer the fox cub to the specialists at Cuan Wildlife Rescue.

“They are often thought to be kittens as they don’t resemble a fox at all,” manager of the Wildlife Rescue organization Fran Hill told The Dodo. “We’ve had some in the past that may be a month or two old that people have reared and then realize it’s not a cat!”

The adorable furry creature had a little scratch under her nose but was doing completely fine otherwise.

According to the staff workers, it’s not that uncommon to see fox cubs separated from their mother or family. The mother fox usually scouts the area for potential threats, and that sometimes ends up in them getting separated.

“The vixen will sometimes move her cubs if she feels worried about her current position,” Fran added. “She carries them one by one to the new destination. If disturbed or challenged, she may drop the cub.”

The fox cub has been doing really well at the wildlife shelter, although she does need quite a bit of attention and care.

From the morning until midnight, the cub has to be bottle-fed with milk no less than three times an hour, and they start at 6 AM!

Nonetheless, she’s healthy and strong, and that’s what matters most.

The Cuan Wildlife Rescue staff actually hope that they encounter a second fox cub soon so that this four-footer will have some company.

Either way, she’s safe there and will probably go back into the wild when she’s matured and fully healthy.

You can check out an early video of the fox cub below.

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Source: Cuan Wildlife Rescue, The Dodo