DURING lockdown, many Hampshire residents have been doing little things to make people smile and help boost morale during these difficult times.

Children have been painting, colouring and making rainbows to be placed in windows, others have decorated the front of their homes with bright colours and flags, and some have even performed live music from the comfort of their front garden.

But one Hampshire business has made a more unusual nod towards beating those lockdown blues.

A well-known topiary cat in Hedge End has been spotted wearing full PPE.

The little character can be seen peering over a wall on Grange Road, watching the traffic pass by and giving motorists a well-needed smile.

The cat hedge, which has been a feature outside Grange Cattery for a few years, can be seen wearing a face mask and gloves.

One passerby, who lives close to Grange Road, said: “I walk past him nearly every day with my children and they always smile and laugh.

“Whoever has put the gloves and mask on him really has a good sense of humour.

Everything is so serious at the moment it’s really nice to be able to have a laugh despite what’s going on in the world.”

Another man, a resident of Grange Road, said that he often walks his dog past the cat-shaped hedge.

He added: “It is so cleverly made, whoever made it into the cat shape was obviously very skilled.

“I really hope it can take off the gloves and a mask once this is all over.

“Perhaps it needs a sun hat in all of this hot weather.”

The cat belongs to e cat, a family run business that offers Hampshire cats a home-from-home when their owners are on holiday.

The business launched in 2007 and was founded and is owned by Cheryl Knight and Collin Davidson who is described as an avid feline friend,

“Cat Bush” - as named on the cattery’s website - has been a feature of Grande Road for some time.