A family joined forces to rescue five tiny kittens after finding them alone in the bushes of a Newport park.
A thoughtful animal-lover enlisted the help of her daughter and grandson to save a litter of five-week-old kittens after a member of her dog-walking group spotted them by the river in Glebelands Park.
Glynis Davies, Coordinator for Cats Protection Gwent who was contacted about the kittens, explains: “One of our supporters, who regularly donates blankets for the cats in our care, got in touch to say she had found five young kittens and needed our assistance.
“The lady is part of a dog-walking group that regularly meets in the park and one of her fellow walkers mentioned that he’d seen kittens by the riverbank the day before but had not been able to approach as he was with his dog. She went to the spot where he’d seen them and was delighted that they were still there but as she approached, they ran away. She called her daughter who brought her grandson, a cat carrier and some food to the park to help. The daughter and grandson caught three right away from under the bushes and then put some food down which thankfully enticed the final two.”
The kittens were cold and extremely hungry, eating three sachets of food within half an hour. The family then liaised with Glynis to get them into care.
Glynis adds: “We believe the kittens’ Mum may still be at the park so a number of people, including the dog walkers, are now keeping an eye out for her. The kittens had some fleas as you’d expect from them being outside and there were burrs in their fur suggesting they’d been in the park for a couple of days.”
It is believed the kittens, who are all male, had been discarded like litter along with their mother in an untaped box which was found under the bushes.
“One of the kittens is quite feisty but the rest are friendly,” Glynis says, “so it’s likely they have had human contact up until this point and then were dumped. We know unexpected litters can happen and would urge anybody who finds themselves struggling to care for cats to get in touch with us. We won’t judge and will work with you to find the best solution.
“It’s never ok to abandon a cat and these tiny kittens would certainly have died if they hadn’t been found – they could have been killed by dogs or other predators or simply would have struggled to survive especially once separated from their mother.”
The family who found the kittens have kept one to raise, naming him Moses. The branch is caring for the other four who have been named after trees – Rowan, Ash, Plum and Juniper. If anybody would like to support the branch with their care, they are keen to receive donations of Felix kitten food or items from their wishlist: www.amazon.co.uk/hz/wishlist/ls/2BVO7MGA5CIV6 Anyone wishing to donate food directly can call the branch helpline to make arrangements: 0345 371 2747
