Giving your cats to a shelter because you can no longer take care of them is one thing. Dumping a family of cats is another. And to dump cats right in front of an open shelter in the driveway? That is a whole ‘nother level of disappointment.
Dumped in the Driveway of an Open Shelter
Image via Facebook/RSPCA Coventry
The RSPCA Coventry Animal Centre, located on Coundon Wedge Drive in Coventry, United Kingdom, is usually a hopping place. They become busy quickly, and for a Saturday afternoon, it was even worse than usual. When this happened in late August, Coventry Animal Centre was at full capacity, and the staff was over their heads with work. They never expected to add to all of that by finding a crate outside. Around 4 p.m. that same Saturday, someone found a cat carrier sitting in the middle of the driveway.
The Coventry staff looked inside and found a beautiful mama cat and her three kittens looking sad and confused. They didn’t understand where they were or why they were abandoned. Staff knew they needed love immediately as well as medical care. Not to mention, they were covered in fleas. Taking the quad of kitties inside, the staff noticed a man hiding in the trees who had left the scene. It’s one thing to take cats to a shelter to be cared for, but to hide in the trees and not take them inside to an open-for-business shelter? Well, at least the person was smart enough to take the cats to a shelter, but abandoning them in the driveway is still abusive and puts the cats at great risk of death.
How to Surrender a Pet
The UK RSPCA has information online on what to know if you cannot care for your pet. In this case, we don’t know if the man in question merely discovered the cats by chance or if they were his pets. If he was rescuing them, then why not follow through and take them all the way in the door? We’ll never know.
If the person feared the cost of veterinary services, there could be financial assistance and charities that can help. These charities can also help rehome cats and dogs. Likewise, the Humane Society is a judgment-free zone for those in the US who must surrender pets but, in some cases, will ask for a surrender donation to help pay for care.
As we know, there are so many kind nonprofit rescuers who go to extreme lengths to save cats and kittens. Shelters work with these rescuers to ensure pets get a chance to survive and live happy lives. Of course, the way to prevent so many tragedies is to spay and neuter pets, to begin with.
Unfortunately, shelters see kittens dumped outside all the time, as we’ve shared before. For example, someone recently left a box of soaked kittens in the parking lot of a Hanford, California, shelter. Fortunately, the kittens survived, thanks to the rescuers.
The Kittens Go Instagram Viral Thanks To Deputy Manager Dave
The rescuers posted what happened to the Coventry’s Instagram and Facebook.
“Despite our reception being open at this time, a man appeared to hide until a member of staff walked away from the area and then ran away after dropping the carrier. We’re currently operating at full capacity and have a long waiting list of people patiently waiting for our assistance, most in desperate situations. We cannot operate on a system where people suddenly dump animals on us. Our cattery is full and so are our foster spaces.”-Coventry Animal Centre Deputy Manager, Dave Budd.
The rescue is full, people are waiting to care for their animals, and then this happens? The entire situation was getting worse by the second. They knew they had to work fast to get these babies the care and food they needed to survive. Thankfully a staff member took them in and consulted a vet, looking after them all night. But sadly, one of the kittens passed away in the night.
“Thankfully, one of our experienced members of staff looked after the cats on Saturday night and sought advice from a vet but, sadly, one of the little kittens passed away.”
Mama And The Two Surviving Kittens Are A-OK
Madison and Navey
Madison, Navey, and Trinity Await Forever Homes
Even though one of the kittens was tragically lost, the mama cat and the kittens are doing well. The shelter gave mama cat the name Trinity, and the two babies are Madison and Navey.
All three were underweight but are now eating and gaining weight just fine. They also started to warm up to people! At first, Trinity didn’t let Madison or Navey travel far from her, a protective mama. However, she soon allowed them to be around others and get all the pets and love they rightly deserved.
“She adores the kittens and rarely lets them roam far from her,” Budd said. “Madison and Navey are doing well and, although they’re nervous of people, they’re coming around slowly.”
With time, more treatments, and clean up, they will be ready to go up for adoption to their forever homes. Luckily for Madison, Navey, and mama cat Trinity, a brave, kind soul looked out and found them in the shelter’s driveway.
REMEMBER: ADOPT, DON’T SHOP; FOSTERING SAVES LIVES & SPAY AND NEUTER!
All photos by RSPCA/Instagram.
