Her intellectual close friends get to call her TC. And like the cartoon alley cat whose name she almost shares, Tip Cat started out among the rubbish.

But for this tiny kitten, the life of grime is over.

She was named after Top Cat, the Hanna-Barbera cartoon character who lived in a dustbin and led a feline gang.

Top Cat was always on the run from his arch-rival, the hapless Officer Dibble, but kinder souls took pity on Tip Cat.

Hungry and terrified, the three-week-old kitten, weighing just eight ounces, was spotted huddling among the rubbish at Littlehampton recycling plant.

The quivering kitten was rescued by eagle-eyed site manager Albie Hedges.

When area manager Mike Taylor arrived soon afterwards for a site inspection, he had a frightened feline thrust upon him.

Tip Cat was soon adopted by Mr Taylor's colleagues at Viridor, the recycling and waste contractor for West Sussex County Council.

Admin manager and foster cat-mother Chris Probee said: "She would melt anyone's heart - she has taken over the whole office.

"She had us up at 4am because she needs feeding every four hours but we don't mind because she's so cute."

Tip Cat is fed kitten milk with a syringe by office staff on a rota.

Chris said: "She's totally dependent on us because she hasn't got a mum and she's so young.

"At first we had to force-feed her to get something inside her because she was so frightened and was pining and pining for her mum.

"But in the end she was hungry enough to take it from us."

When TC arrived, Viridor staff contacted the RSPCA. The charity told them how to take care of the kitten and they decided they could not give her up.

Chris said: "She's so cute - I dread to think where she could have ended up.

"We took her to the vet and found out what to feed her and now we are keeping her in the office."

The little cat is showing signs of tabby through her fur and her eyes have remained bright blue.

Chris said: "She is already a mischievous little thing.

"It's so funny watching her learn to walk because she sticks her bottom in the air and waddles."

Kittens can usually leave their mothers at six weeks but Chris insisted TC needed to stay with them until she was eight weeks old.

She said: "My son's girlfriend is going to take her home when she is more independent and can be left on her own.

"But first we need to teach her to lick milk from a saucer and eat little bits of meat.

"It will be hard to let her go but we saved her and that's what counts."

How TC got in among the recyling remains a mystery.

When she was found a search was made for signs of any siblings but none were found.

Chris said: "None of the cats around here are grey tabbies. She could not have climbed in because she could not walk when we found her.

"I just hope there weren't any others."