OHS volunteers rescue kittens abandoned by side of road
A mother cat and her four kittens are resting at the OHS after being found along the side of an Ottawa road.
Around 10:45 p.m. on Monday night, an OHS volunteer noticed a car stopped on Aviation Parkway, near Beechwood. When he approached the vehicle offering assistance, the woman inside the car said she had found some stray cats and was dropping them off. She then got back in her car and sped away.
Stunned about what had just happened, our volunteer, Mitch, heard meowing coming from the nearby ditch. Armed with a flashlight, he spotted five kittens emerging from what looked like the top of a kitchen garbage can. Mitch managed to round up the kittens and place them in a carrier he had stowed in the back of his car. He then located the mother cat, who was lurking nearby, and after a bit of coaxing, managed to get her in the carrier as well.
Once all the cats were safely at home, Mitch and his partner Chantal (also an OHS foster volunteer) got a good look at all the cats. They noticed the kittens were cold and soaked in urine. Chantal prepped a hot water bottle with a fleece blanket to keep the kittens warm. They were all given a bath and warm milk, as mom was fed. Soon, the mother cat was nursing four of her kittens, and was responding well to scratches and pats. Unfortunately, one of the kittens appeared ill and lethargic, and wouldn't latch on for feeding. Chantal rushed the kitten to an emergency veterinary clinic, where she was given fluids to revive the kitten. The treatment was ultimately unsuccessful, and the kitten died during the night.
Chantal and Mitch brought the remaining kittens and mother cat to the OHS first thing on Tuesday morning. The animals were admitted, and the mom is continuing to care for the kittens, who all seem to be active and well.
If anyone has any information on these kittens, please contact the OHS investigations department at 613-725-3166 ext. 224. Any details could help in bringing animal cruelty charges against whoever is responsible for their abandonment.
The OHS is able to provide care for abandoned animals like these, thanks to generous donors like you. To make a gift to help care for this mother and her kittens, please click here.
