With its historic Edwardian house and beautiful gardens, Preston Manor would seem to be the perfect paradise for any cat to roam.

Kitty did just for that four years, often taking a free ride in the gardener's wheelbarrow or curling up at night in the tool shed.

Visitors to the museum, off Preston Road, Brighton, adored the six-year-old tabby and made sure she never went hungry.

So it came as a shock when Cats Protection removed Kitty more than a week ago from the home she has known for most of her life.

George Harris, gardener at Preston Manor for the past five years, said someone had told the charity Kitty was not being cared for properly after 4pm when he finished work.

He said: "Cat Protection is being heavy handed and we pleaded with them not to take her away. She was always around the garden, going for wheelbarrow rides, climbing trees and doing all the things cats like doing. There's a real hole now.

"She is used to living outside. Putting her in a house with a warm fire would be like putting her in a prison because she has been a free agent for so long."

Marion Clark, of Cleveland Road, Brighton, has been a volunteer gardener since the summer last year and hoped the cat would be returned.

She said: "She was the loveliest, healthiest and friendliest of animals.

"She had the run of a lovely garden and an old, walled orchard with lots of sheltered places to snuggle into.

"I hate to think of her cooped up in a house away from all her old friends and familiar places.

"It is such a shame. She used to wander around the garden saying 'hello' and she was a great favourite of everyone here.

"The cat owned the garden as much as the other way round.

"I do not know about this Cats Protection. May be they felt a cat should have an owner but she owned us."

Simone Depauw, 68, of nearby Harrington Villas, was one of several regular visitors upset by Cats Protection's actions.

She said: "Kitty was well-fed, looked after and terribly happy. Kitty loved everybody and everybody loved her."

Another visitor, Cathy Cullen, also of Harrington Villas, said: "For years, I have watched Kitty lay in the summer sunshine or happily resting on someone's lap on one of the seats in the gardens.

"She had loads of places to hide and survey her little kingdom. I have never seen a more happy, healthy looking cat."

Kitty had moved into the shed from a nearby house. Despite attempts to reunite Kitty with her original owner, she kept returning to Preston Manor so was allowed to stay.

George would cycle over at the weekends to feed Kitty and even made a ramp for her so she could climb into the shed through a broken window.

Cats Protection said it was forced to take Kitty away as she did not have adequate shelter, veterinary care or anyone to take sole responsibility for looking after her.

Spokeswoman Kate Bunting said: "We don't want to take the cat away from caring members of the public.

"But we need to make sure she gets all the care she needs and she wasn't getting that there.

"If someone is happy to do that at the museum we would be happy to send her back."