Seven kittens were recently found in what appeared to be an abandoned house in Fort St. James, according to the BC SPCA.
The agency had received reports that as many as a dozen cats were living in the house, prompting an animal protection officer to visit the property.
“When the officer arrived, one of the windows at the front of the house was broken, and glass was scattered across the deck,” said Eileen Drever, BC SPCA senior officer for protection and stakeholder relations. “Through the broken window, the officer could see garbage and objects strewn throughout the home.”
Drever explained that a tiny kitten jumped through the broken window to greet the officer, soon followed by the others, until all seven were on the broken glass of the home's deck.
“The kittens followed the officer when she returned to her vehicle,” Drever said. “At one point, the officer noticed a few of them drinking from a mud puddle in the middle of the driveway.”
As rain began to pour, the kittens sought shelter under the officer's truck and the porch.
Given the house’s proximity to traffic and the lack of visible food or water, the officer took the kittens into care and transported them to the BC SPCA’s North Cariboo Animal Centre in Prince George.
The officer covered the broken glass on the deck and left an open bag of cat food for the adult cats, along with a notice advising the owners that the kittens had been taken into care. The investigation is ongoing.
“The kittens were extremely dirty when they arrived at the animal centre, and they were riddled with fleas and worms,” Drever said. “After being given flea medication, it took staff two hours to comb out all the dead fleas from their fur.”
In addition to flea treatment, the kittens were given deworming and parasite control medication. Otherwise, they were in good health.
Drever described the kittens as playful, particularly enjoying time with another cat at the facility.
“They’re ravenous eaters and very rambunctious,” she said. “They were especially fond of Vinny, who was in the same isolation room as them in Prince George. They loved it when staff let Vinny say hello through the kennel bars.”
After receiving treatment and completing their isolation period, the kittens were transported to the BC SPCA’s Tri-Cities Animal Centre in Coquitlam through the Drive for Lives program. They are now available for adoption.
To help these kittens and other animals in need, visit spca.bc.ca/donations-animal-emergency.
