'Please just ask for help': Lothian Cat Rescue issues plea as litter of abandoned kittens taken in by shelter
A huge litter of kittens were dumped in Amazon boxes in Kirkcaldy before being taken to shelters around the country
A litter of kittens dumped by its owner has been taken in to be cared for by Lothian Cat Rescue.
Nicola Zelent, manager of the animal shelter, told the Evening News that eight domestic shorthair kittens are being cared for by her and her team after four boxes filled with the felines were dumped in Kirkcaldy.
Unfortunately, one box was already dead before they could be rescued, but three others were sent to shelters including Lothian Cat Rescue, located on Bonnyrigg.
She said: “One litter went to Winnybank, one litter went to Angus, and the other litter went to a vet who contacted the SSPCA, which can't take them, so they asked us to take them.
“They need to be watered, fed, and they need to have incubators.
“We’ve got incubators and obviously, we’ve got experienced staff that can care for them.”
She added that this time of year is particularly busy for the rescue shelter to be taking in kittens.
Nicola said: “Honestly, you wouldn't believe how many cats are having their kittens outside.
“We're just so busy from now right through until the end of October. There might be mum cats that have had kittens outside, and then somebody's chased them away.
“We're constantly getting orphan babies.”
Nicola also pleaded to anyone struggling with a sudden influx of kittens to reach out to Lothian Cat Rescue for help if they can’t care for them at home.
She said: “These people are just dumping them, it's so sad, because nobody's going to judge people if they need help.
“When people have got cats and they let them breed and then they get overrun, they get embarrassed because since Covid there's been so many folk now that are multi-householding cats.
“And all the vet bills have shot up, so nobody's been able to afford it. So just speak to us, just tell us. It doesn't matter what situation you're in. If you've got 10 cats, 20 cats, 30 cats, just ask for help.”
Nicola said that the kittens which have been taken in by Lothian Cat Rescue are being properly cared for by her staff, adding that the litter are now “thriving”.
Staff have been sharing updates on the progress of the litter on the Lothian Cat Rescue Facebook page and have even started naming some of the kittens.
Nicola said: “We’ve got seven black kittens and one silver tabby, five girls and three boys.
“I think we're maybe going for chocolate themes, we'll go for Snickers and Rolo and things like that.”
Nicola and the Lothian Cat Rescue team are aiming to put the litter up for rehoming once they reach seven weeks old, although they are aiming to pair them off to welcoming homes.
She said: “We'll be looking to rehome them in pairs. If they've had a traumatic start like this, it's nice to keep them in a wee pair and they always tend to pair themselves up anyway.”
The Lothian Cat Rescue team will continue to share the progress of the litter on social media, where staff will also share the moment that the kittens are ready to be rehomed.