A distressed cat and her six neonatal kittens were discovered after being dumped in separate cages without food or water, and in the sweltering sunshine.
Abigail Kreger, 30, executive director of Pet Angel Adoption & Rescue Inc, was horrified when she saw the tiny crates that the seven cats were dumped in. The mom was left in a metal cage, while her six kittens were all cramped in a blue box without ventilation.
The crates were discovered at approximately 6 p.m. outside the rescue center by an unused side door. Kreger, of Frankenmuth, Michigan, told Newsweek that “there was no note or information” left with the family of cats, so it is unclear why they were abandoned.
The mama cat didn’t have any food or water in her cage; meanwhile, the blue tote that the kittens were in didn’t have any air holes, despite the 83-degree-Fahrenheit temperature outside.
“They were left on cement in the hot sun, but as we’re not open on Mondays, and the morning volunteer left at 11 a.m., we have no way of knowing how long they were in the heat without air circulation,” Kreger said.
“The mama cat was very upset and stressed as she could hear her babies but not see them nor could she get to them. Thankfully, all babies were alive when we opened the crate and did not appear to be in distress,” Kreger continued.
The cats were all checked over by a vet the following day and were deemed in good condition. However, two of the kittens are smaller than their siblings, so will need to be monitored closely.
They have been nicknamed The Sesame Street gang, and given adorable character names, including Bert and Ernie.
They will all be going to a foster home together in the coming weeks, where Kreger hopes they will have more space and can receive round-the-clock care.
“The two smallest kittens will receive extra care and feedings to try to get them caught up with their siblings in size. We always watch kittens closely as there are several illnesses that can take them quickly,” Kreger said.
She continued: “The family will return to the rescue in a few weeks when we know they are all doing well and when we can place them in their own free-roam room.”
Once the kittens are weaned, the mama cat, named Sesame, will be fixed, microchipped, wormed, and put up for adoption. The kittens will also receive the same procedures to ensure they have a full bill of health before being put up for adoption, too.
Kreger told Newsweek that the kittens will be “adopted out in pairs” to reduce the likelihood of behavioral or health complications.
The animal rescuer shared a video on TikTok (@aceengel) to show the devastating sight of the cat and her six kittens in the tiny cages they were dumped in. In the days since it was posted, the video has gone viral with over 119,200 views and more than 27,800 likes at the time of writing.
The online response has been overwhelming, and Kreger is incredibly grateful to all the internet users who have donated money to the rescue. Pet Angel Adoption & Rescue Inc was founded in 2004 by Kreger’s mom, Nancy Engel, who is the president of the nonprofit organization.
“We reached our fundraising goal in just hours and currently have over $4,000 for them,” Kreger said. “The response has allowed us to consider taking in more kittens as we will have funds left after these are cared for.
“Summer is a low adoption time and a high surrender time. It’s also a low donation time, even though it’s the time when we need funds the most,” she continued.
Through sharing stories like this on social media, Kreger aims to highlight the importance of neutering pets. The increasing population and animal-welfare crisis means that rescue centers and shelters are overcrowded and don’t have the means to care for every animal in need.
The TikTok video has received almost 1,000 comments already, as social-media users were left distraught at the sight of the abandoned kittens.
One comment reads: “Poor mama looks like just a baby herself too. Thank you for all your hard work protecting these little ones!”
Another TikTok user wrote: “Poor little babies! People are awful sometimes.”
A third person replied: “they knew what they were doing was wrong and still did it.”
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