Countess was the face of this story. She is the black kitten with the white stripe, one of seven kittens who desperately wanted to be rescued from a garbage-filled abandoned home in Fort St. James. The kittens were so desperate they jumped out of a broken window onto shards of glass when they heard the BC SPCA animal protection officer’s voice and followed the officer out to their truck and when it began to rain, hid underneath it.
Thankfully, the officer got all seven of the extremely dirty kittens, who were riddled with fleas and worms into a carrier and brought them to the BC SPCA’s North Cariboo animal centre where they were treated.
As with many animals who come into the BC SPCA’s care, it is incredible how much these kittens’ lives have changed in such a short amount of time. All seven have been adopted. Countess is now named Tulsi, a Sanskrit word meaning “holy basil” that is a common name for cats in India, where they are considered a sacred animal. She found a forever home with an incredible family including a Shiba Inu big sister who fell madly in love with the kitten at first sight.
Tulsi’ new mom, Erin, didn’t know about the kitten’s backstory until she came into the animal centre. “We had been searching for a kitten for months when we saw Tulsi on the BC SPCA’s website and went to the centre to meet her. That is when the staff told us she had been rescued,” says Erin. Her story had an impact on the family, but it was when her six-year-old son Asher and Tulsi instantly bonded that she knew she was the one.
That only became more obvious when they brought her home. “I can’t believe how quickly she settled in,” says Erin. “She was so comfortable, almost from the minute we walked through the door.” It has been especially heartwarming to watch the relationship between Tulsi and Asher grow. “He just loves this little kitten so much and she is equally smitten with him. She is so gentle with her claws and sleeps with him every night.”
Eevee, their nine-year-old Shiba Inu, and Tulsi have also become the best of friends. “Eevee was so patient and welcomed new Tulsi into the family with so much love.” Erin adds that Eevee had been missing Sophie and Beerus, the two cats she had grown up with and was so happy to have another playmate.
When it comes to personality, little Tulsi has loads of it. “She is full of sass and super affectionate. We expect she will be even more of a cuddle bug as she gets older and grows out of her wild kitten energy phase. She has been so easy, she cannot wait for mealtime, she loves her food.”
Besides Asher, Tulsi’s favourite things are Eevee and two bar stools which have been previously worn in by Sophie and Beerus. “No toy we give her is better than hanging with Eevee and even though she has a scratching post, Tulsi can’t resist those bar stools. They are a little welcome to the family gift from the cats who lived here before her.”
BC SPCA animal protection officer rescues seven kittens from hazardous and unhealthy living conditions
Original story: November 14, 2024
A BC SPCA animal protection officer rescued seven kittens, approximately nine weeks in age, from what appeared to be an abandoned home in Fort St James after receiving a complaint that there were a dozen cats living in the home that appeared to be neglected and possibly abandoned.
“The officer arrived to find one of the windows at the front of the house broken and glass was observed all over the deck,” says Eileen Drever, the BC SPCA’s senior officer protection and stakeholder relations. “The officer could see garbage and objects strewn throughout the home through the broken window.”

Drever adds that after the officer yelled to make her presence known, a little kitten jumped up and out of the broken window to greet her, then another, and another. A total of seven kittens jumped out onto the broken shards of glass on the deck. “The kittens followed her when she went back to her vehicle,” says Drever. “The officer noticed a few of the kittens were drinking from a mud puddle in the middle of the driveway.”
When it began to rain heavily, the kittens hid under the officer’s truck and the porch. As the house was close to traffic and there was no visible food or water the kittens were taken into the BC SPCA’s care and transported to the North Cariboo animal centre located in Prince George. The officer covered the broken glass on the deck and left an open bag of cat food for the adult cats along with a Notice advising the owners the kittens were taken into care. Drever advised this is an ongoing investigation.
“The kittens were extremely dirty when they arrived at the animal centre and riddled with fleas and worms,” says Drever. “After they were given flea medication, it took staff at the centre two hours to comb out all the dead fleas from their fur.” The kittens were also given deworming and parasite control medication.
Drever adds that the kittens have been super playful and healthy otherwise. “They eat ravenously and are very rambunctious,” she says. “They were particularly fond of a cat named Vinny who was in the same isolation room as them in Prince George. They loved it when staff let Vinny say hello through the kennel bars.”
Now that the seven kittens have been treated and are out of isolation, they have been transported by the BC SPCA’s Drive for Lives program to the Tri Cities animal centre located in Coquitlam. They are currently available for adoption.