Concerned neighbors called in the pro-rescuers when they discovered three adorable kittens hiding in a vandalized rusty car. The neighbors observed them for a while, so they knew three kittens were deep within in the antique blue vehicle. But the trick was catching the clever feral mama and then extracting each kitten one by one.
Like all mamas, she wanted the best protection for her babies, and what’s better than a metal fortress? That’s why we must say again: Please knock on your car’s hood before starting the car, especially during kitten season. In this case, it appears these kittens were well-protected in a car long abandoned. Trash was piled up in the car’s interior, camouflaging the feline family.
Images and media via Instagram/Heidi Wrangles Cats
Operation Rusty Car Kittens
We must commend Heidi and Olga for rescuing the rusty car kittens and their mama in the Brooklyn area. Often, undernourished feral mothers are desperate to get enough food to nurse their babies. And sure enough, the cautious mama couldn’t resist some yummy bait. But then, a treasure hunt began, trying to find the three babies. It almost took a mechanic!
These kittens were old enough to be wary of people and wily enough to make catching them challenging! Although ridiculously cute, they can still be surprisingly fierce, as Olga, unfortunately, discovered reaching beneath a car seat. But nothing would stop these rescuers.
After an hour of searching, they found the third kitten’s hiding spot. Somehow, the little guy wedged himself under the dashboard! Finally, the three kittens were in a coincidentally color-coordinated carrier and on their way to “the VIP life,” at “Chez Heidi!”
Video by Heidi Wrangles Cats
Rusty Car Kittens Get Creative Names
Safely at Chez Heidi, the rusty car kittens got the cutest names. Heidi discovered all the black and white kittens were girls and dubbed them Copy, Paste, and Backspace. Meanwhile, their feral mama was Control-Alt-Delete, with a missing tail, likely from a past injury.
Backspace
Although Control-Alt-Delete remained feral and returned to her outdoor haunts (after spaying), she has a caring neighbor who will look out for her now. Meanwhile, her three cuties grew up with their every need taken care of.
Paste the kitten
How cute are these kittens? You can see Copy is a spicy one, the kitten who nipped Olga.
“Copy has *the* most forlorn eyes 😂 these babies are perfect omg,” commented one person.
Copy the kitten
Stinky Kittens Get a Bath
Although adorable, you could smell them from across the room, so they all got a nice warm bath. We’ve previously shared Heidi’s tips for bathing kittens, which must be done with great care so they are always warm. Many times, newborn kittens are too weak to be bathed until they are stronger.
“I just love how Heidi Wrangle Cats bathes kittens. Her videos are some of my favorites- I love what she stands for, the work she does for the cats of Brooklyn and for all of her cute content,” said Jackson Galaxy.
Supporters Help the Rusty Car Kittens
The Rusty Car Kittens proved resilient, but Backspace required round-the-clock veterinary care for ongoing tummy troubles. Wonderful people donated to give her the best chance for a long, healthy life. As incredibly adaptable as kittens are, they are so very fragile.
Backspace in a purrito goes to the veterinarian for tummy troubles.
Thanks to intense, very expensive veterinary care, Backspace made it and returned to her sisters wearing a surprise little shark costume/hat.
To see more and to support Heidi’s ongoing rescue efforts, you can follow on Instagram and TikTok.
