“He had no idea how long they had been there.”
At the end of a busy driveway in Washington, a family of animals was found huddled inside a taped-up cardboard box, growing increasingly hot. With no escape in sight, they began to pant in an effort to regulate their body temperatures.
Fortunately, the driveway where they were abandoned belonged to a Good Samaritan who immediately sensed something was wrong. Upon opening a small corner of the box, he discovered a mother cat and her litter of kittens inside. Alarmed, he quickly rushed them to The Humane Society of Mason County (HSMC).
“He was filled with concern because the temperature was expected to exceed 80 degrees Fahrenheit that day,” a representative from the humane society shared with The Dodo. “He had no idea how long they had been left there.” As the rescuers worked to peel away the layers of tape, they felt a growing sense of anxiety.
“We were anxious to look inside, fearing for the cats’ condition,” the representative recounted. “It took longer than we hoped, but when we finally opened the box, we were relieved to find all of the animals alive. Though they were hot and dehydrated, they were relatively alert.”
The rescuers promptly transferred the mother cat and her five kittens to their veterinary team. After a bit of care, the exhausted family quickly calmed down, gratefully accepting food and water.
“The cats settled as they cooled off and were thrilled to receive nourishment,” the representative noted.
Finding suitable names for each family member was easy for the team.
“The cats arrived during the Summer Olympics, and given all they had been through, they certainly deserved names befitting champions,” the representative explained. “The mom was named after Katie Ledecky, and her kittens were named Simone Biles, Steven Nedroscik, Suni Lee, Noah Lyles, and Michael Phelps.”
Once the kittens were healthy, they were sent to a local cat café, where they were quickly adopted into loving homes. Katie, their mother, spent some time in a foster home before finding her own family. Now safe and well-cared for, these cats can finally relax, free from the worries of survival.