One Saturday morning, a local vet practice arrived at work to find two sealed air fryer boxes on their doorstep.
Inside the first was a tiny mum cat, curled around her four newborn kittens. Inside the second were two terrified young cats, hiding as best they could in the dark.
The vets rang round for help. Another rescue was able to take mum and her babies, and we stepped in for the two frightened ones.
We should be honest about how that decision went. Our rescue is full. We announced a pause on new admissions in August because every pen and every foster space was already taken by cats needing treatment, time and care. Like most rescues around us, we are stretched to the limit and then some.
But when the call came, we carved out room. Because how could we not?
Safe, warm, fed
The two arrivals are now called Soot and Sweep. They’re safe. They’re warm. They’ve eaten. And for the first time in who knows how long, they’re able to sleep without fear.
They are gentle, wary little souls, and they’ll need time before they’re ready to think about a home of their own. When they are, you’ll find them on our Cats for Adoption page.
We don’t know who left those boxes, or why. We’d rather focus on what happens next. Whoever it was, they left them somewhere they would be found, and that’s the part that saved six lives.
If you’d like to help
Every cat that comes through our door arrives with a vet bill attached. Soot and Sweep will need health checks, vaccinations, neutering and microchipping before they can be rehomed, and in the meantime they need food, litter and a warm bed.
If you’d like to help us care for them, and for every cat we’ve said yes to this year, a monthly donation from £6 gives us the steady support we need to keep making room.
Or send something practical through our Amazon Wish List.