Rare male tortoiseshell kitten snapped up from Whanganui SPCA

Herculine's stay at the SPCA proved to be short-lived. Photo / Supplied

Herculine, the rare male tortoiseshell kitten being cared for at the Whanganui SPCA, attracted suitors before their doors had even opened on Saturday morning.

The 3-month-old kitten is now safe and sound at his new forever home in Whanganui.

Animal care attendant Shannen Brown said someone was waiting outside 10 minutes before the centre opened and, after they ended up choosing a different kitten, the next person in line got Herculine.

"She came through and snapped him up, so the second person in got him," Brown said.

"She had come straight from the Splash Centre and still had her towel around her waist."

Other prospective kitten owners need not fear though, because there are a number of felines still looking for a new place to call their own.

"There are plenty here, and there are plenty more on the way," Brown said.

"We have another 10-plus being desexed on Wednesday."

Brown said kitten season could continue right through until May.

"Herculine might be gone, but come and get a different one instead.

"They're all very, very cute."

All kittens who go through the SPCA are desexed before being adopted.

Tortoiseshells are defined by their two non-white colour combinations and are almost exclusively female. Males carry an extra X (XXY) chromosome and are often sterile but Herculine was still desexed in line with SPCA policy.