“There were a lot of ways that this could have ended differently.”
Inside were a mother cat and her three kittens, just four weeks old — abandoned on a doorstep in a box, like something to be thrown away.
The women brought them inside immediately, offering water and milk while they assessed the situation. Despite everything, the cats were in good health. They were settled into a warm kennel, where the little family curled up together and fell asleep.
The mama cat was named Pandora.
Thriving now
Weeks on, Pandora and her kittens are doing beautifully. The babies have found their energy, their curiosity, and apparently their mother’s patience — which, by all accounts, is considerable.
“Mama and babies are thriving,” said Toni Ferencak, president of Catnip Acres Rescue. “The babies are starting to play and jump around on their mom and are the cutest things in the world. Pandora is doing a great job taking care of her three babies. She is very patient when they are nursing and also when they are playing.”
A word from the rescue
The team at Catnip Acres is relieved — but they also want this story to mean something beyond a happy ending.
“We would like to stress the importance of not discarding animals when it becomes inconvenient,” Ferencak said. “There are multiple ways to surrender animals, and this was definitely not the way to do it.”
Rescues exist precisely for situations like this. A phone call, a visit, a conversation — any of those would have worked. A taped-up box left outside in the early morning should never have to be the answer.
“There were a lot of ways this could have ended differently,” Ferencak said.
This time, thankfully, it didn’t.