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.
