THE GENEROSITY of Evesham’s cat-lovers has provided two tiny kittens with a bright future after they were rescued in a sorry state on Halloween, needing months of expert care.
More than 20 people have rallied to raise almost £700 to cover the care and surgery needed by kittens Tish and Snuffles who were found in Honeybourne last October.
Little is known about how they came to be alone but a member of the public rescued the shivering pair from the wind and rain and arrived at Cats Protection’s Evesham Adoption Centre just before it closed for the night.
Named Tish and Snuffles after the symptoms they were suffering when they arrived, the kittens were believed to be around three or four weeks old when they were found.
They were far too young to be away from their mother and were both suffering from cat flu, extremely underweight and Snuffles had a ruptured eyeball from where his flu had remained untreated.
Centre manager Charlie Hood said: “We were at capacity on the night Tish and Snuffles arrived but of course we couldn’t turn them away.
“Both needed round-the-clock care because of their age and with their low weights and extreme levels of cat flu, it’s unlikely they would have survived another night alone.
“Tish weighed less than a cup of salt and she was in marginally better shape than her brother, she weighed what we would expect of a kitten half her age.
“We have no idea whether their mother abandoned them or a human dumped them because of their illness but we are extremely thankful they were found when they were.
The malnourished kittens could barely breathe through their blocked noses and their eyes were sealed shut with infection.
Staff at the adoption centre took them straight to the vet where they were hospitalised for a week of intensive care.
When Tish and Snuffles returned they needed ongoing antibiotics and eye drops while being kept in isolation to ensure they did not spread the highly infectious flu to the other cats.
The young cats’ plight captured the hearts of the centre’s supporters and 22 people raised £680 in just 22 days.
“Luckily Snuffles and Tish are little fighters. They are now five months old and full of energy and love,” Charlie added.
“Snuffles’ eye infection was so severe his right eye had to be removed once he was strong enough to undergo the operation. He’s doing brilliantly and we are so grateful for the kindness of our remarkable supporters who came together to cover almost the entire cost of their surgeries.”
Anyone wishing to give Tish and Snuffles a home should keep an eye on the centre’s website where their details will be posted once they are ready to join a new forever family.
Visit www.cats.org.uk/spring-appeal/Evesham for more.
