What started as a late-night bathroom break turned into an unexpected rescue mission for a little Shih Tzu named Laynee, and two tiny kittens who desperately needed help.
Early on July 11, Laynee’s guardian, Brady Verhaeghe, let her outside. But instead of quickly doing her business and coming back in, Laynee wouldn’t budge from a bush in the yard.
“When I let her out, she refused to come back indoors,” Verhaeghe said.
He went over to see what had caught her attention. That’s when he heard a faint meow. Looking under the bush, he saw a tiny black kitten nose to nose with Laynee.
“I picked up the kitten and was walking away when I heard another faint ‘meow’,” he explained. “Laynee went straight back to the bush, and we spent a half an hour coaxing the second kitten to come out. Both kittens nestled into my arms right away,” Verhaeghe said. “You could tell they were longing to be helped.”
He didn’t recall seeing any pregnant cats in the neighbourhood, but believes that the kittens may have been abandoned. He brought the little ones inside and put them a plastic bin lined with blankets, setting them beside his bed.
“They didn’t make much noise, but every time they did, Laynee would immediately check on them,” Verhaeghe said. “She didn’t mind them crawling all over her. She’s usually shy around other animals. I was super surprised by her reaction to these kittens.”
Still hopeful a mother cat might return, Verhaeghe placed the kittens back under the bush and kept watch. But after waiting a few hours with no sign of her, he brought the kittens to the BC SPCA in Kelowna.
“When we examined the kittens, they were really thin and their gums were pale, but they were bright-eyed and hungry which was a good sign,” explained Shannon Paille, manager of the BC SPCA Kelowna.
“They are so young they need to be bottle-fed. One of our amazing BC SPCA fosters is continuing the kittens’ care in their home, which is the best place for them to be.”
The kittens have been treated for parasites and vaccinated, and they’ll be ready for adoption at eight weeks old.
“The finder did the right thing for these underweight kittens,” noted Kim Monteith, BC SPCA’s manager of animal welfare and behaviour.
She said in most cases, if kittens under eight weeks are in a safe spot and appear healthy, it’s best to wait for their mother, who may just be out hunting. But if the kittens are sick, injured, in danger, or the mother doesn’t come back, they should be gently picked up in a blanket-lined box and taken to a vet or the SPCA.
“If you are unsure of what to do or have any questions, contact your local BC SPCA,” Monteith advised.
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