Four newborn kittens were recently discovered under a shopping cart, bound together with zipper ties, and rushed to an animal rescue center. According to Gercke, the center’s staff, the kittens “arrived still attached by their umbilical cords and covered in fleas,” and medical personnel concluded they were less than five days old. Two of the kittens had died, while the other two remained in critical condition.
“One of the two surviving kittens is mostly uninjured, but the other has severe damage to its left hind leg from the zip ties,” Gercke added. Though the situation initially appeared dire, the center noted that “hope prevailed”—both surviving kittens were “almost immediately” put on bottle-feeding. “Initially, this was our biggest concern,” Kendall Schulz, the adoption director, said in an email. “We worried they hadn’t eaten for hours and wouldn’t take the bottle.”
The pair are now in foster care during their recovery. “Finding a foster parent qualified for bottle-feeding is crucial because these little ones need feeding every two hours,” Schulz explained. “Thankfully, we have an extensive network of qualified fosters who can drop everything to help.”
As of press time, the kittens remain in foster care under close supervision. The rescue center plans to update the public on their progress. The incident has prompted local animal welfare groups to call for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the abuse.
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