For any cat lover it could be the perfect Christmas gift - their very own 'cat toilet.'

But this is no ordinary cat toilet which normally comes in the form of a tray full of kitty litter.

This is a specially designed device to get your feline friend to do their business in YOUR loo.

The cat toilet is just one of the bizarre unwanted items donated to a charity shop which raises money for a charity which rescues and re homes unwanted felines.

And it's an item which is expected to prove popular when it gets put on the shelves of the Bristol and Wales Cat Rescue charity shop in Nailsea.

Charity shop manager Gemma Foan said: "I've never seen anything like it before.

"Most people train their cats using a litter tray with a view to them doing their business outside.

"But to have a cat toilet that encourages your pet to spend a penny in a normal loo, well, that's unique."

But if you think this is a weird offering, it's fair to say a collection of equally bizarre items have been handed in to the store.

Over the past few months donations of false teeth, knickers without a gusset and even a set of handcuffs have been handed in.

"Whereas we are grateful for all the donations that come in, some of them in the past have been quite unusual," added Gemma.

"Once we had a load of really threadbare socks donated.

"The strange thing is that although they were completely threadbare with holes in, the previous owner had carefully washed and ironed every one of them before they brought them in.

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"We've also had mens' pants handed in with large holes in the back of them."

Other bizarre donations have included taxidermy animals, wigs, false eyelashes and even a prosthetic hand.

"I can't imagine who would have donated the hand," said Gemma. "If you needed it, it's not the sort of thing you couldn't be without."

Sometimes items are donated in which even Gemma and her team of volunteers struggle to identify.

"There have been occasions where an item is brought in and all of us are left scratching our heads and thinking 'what is it?

"But on those occasions we pop it on the counter and ask our customers. "Usually, someone will be able to tell it what it is.

"And it's always a talking point."

Every penny raised at the shop goes directly to the charity.

And Gemma is urging anyone who receives a festive gift which is not of their choice to consider donating it.

"We have such a lot of support in the local area," said Gemma. "We have a number of customers who come in every day for a mooch around.

"We also have supporters who just pop in and put money in the donation box and some customers always insist on giving us more than the ticket price just to support the charity.

"And we are always very grateful for donations of all kinds.

"Often people get gifts at Christmas which they don't like or don't have a purpose for.

"What we are asking those people is to think of us - and donate them to the shop where they will be used to raise money for a great animal charity."

The charity is run by a group of volunteers with the aim of finding loving homes for cats and kittens in need.

The charity rescue, foster and rehome hundreds of cats every year across the south west and Wales, cats that have been badly treated, abandoned or just unwanted.

Most of the cats have no special requirements and are waiting to spend an afternoon purring away on a comfy sofa