CANADA – When a stray cat in Canada realized she was ready to give birth to her litter, she needed to find a warm place to have her kittens. Vancouver has been bitterly cold over the last week and this desperate kitty would settle for anything she could find.
Tasha Bukovnik, who is the vice president of VOKRA (Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association), explained: “Calida (the cat) tried her best to find a warm place to give birth, but was only able to find an outdoor laundry room with a freezing concrete floor.” Because of exposure, four of Calida’s five kittens passed away right after they were born. “All the kittens were healthy and would have lived had Calida been able to give birth in a warm environment.”
However, one tiny kitten was still alive. Calida covered the tiny kitten with her own body hoping to keep her warm, before long the homeowner found the tiny family and immediately called for help. Volunteers with VOKRA rushed over to the scene and took them to the rescue center for emergency care as fast as the icy roads allowed.
Upon their arrival at the center Calida ate ravenously, it was obvious that she hadn’t eaten for some time, she then rested and began to nurse her kitten, who is since been named Sentrie.
“Sentrie is a chubby little girl, but Calida is on the thin side and can’t seem to get enough food,” Bukovnik stated.
After spending a bit of time with Calida, her carers believed that she was once someone’s pet and had been abandoned because she was clearly a tame cat.
VOKRA is hoping that the sad story of Calida and her kittens will encourage people to spay and neuter their pets and in doing so avoid unnecessary suffering.
Calida and Sentrie grow stronger each and every and the little family’s future looks bright. They will both be moved into foster care soon where they will both get the chance to recuperate in a home environment and when they’re ready, they’ll be put up for adoption together.
All images: VOKRA / Via: TheDodo
