A London dog walker received the shock of their life after discovering six tiny kittens abandoned in Freyent Country Park in North West London on Saturday 1 April.
The discovery was made when the concerned dog walker spotted two dogs taking a great interest in a cardboard box that appeared to be moving in the car parking area. When they went to investigate and opened the box, they saw six small kittens in a state of neglect – one of whom had sadly lost their life.
An equally concerned woman who was also in the park brought the five surviving kittens to the nearby Mayhew animal welfare charity in Kensal Green where they were immediately cleaned, fed and given a full veterinary check-up and treatment for fleas. One was showing symptoms of shock, so was kept warm on a heat pad and monitored closely.
Three of the kittens were believed to be four weeks old and the two others were believed to be around three to four months old. They were moved into a cosy cabin in the charity’s kitten block where they could feel safe, settled and secure and were named by Mayhew staff as Elvis, Ed Sheeran, Rihanna, Paloma and Faith.
The loving and affectionate kittens continue to go from strength to strength every day and especially enjoy play time together chasing feather wand toys!
As Georgina Costi, Mayhew Head of Cattery, explains, “We don’t know why these kittens were abandoned but we are urgently asking pet owners not to leave their pets in parks as this is an incredibly dangerous environment for vulnerable animals without owners.We are appealing to pet owners who might be struggling to care for and keep their pets to reach out to animal charities, and to ask their local vet or community centre for advice and support.”
Urgent need for foster carers
Georgina adds, “These five kittens will soon need pet foster carers who can provide a safe and caring home environment away from our busy cattery. Being able to place kittens with a foster carer allows them to grow up in a calm home which is vital for their emotional and behavioural development and ensures that they are ultimately able to thrive as a pet cat in a home environment.”
As one dedicated Mayhew foster carer, Sana Shafqat, explains, “I heard about fostering cats from a BBC Radio London programme in 2015. I later heard about Mayhew and then followed up by calling them. I didn’t expect such a thorough application process but was very reassured that this was so that the animals would be placed with the most suitable fosterers.”
She continues, “It’s easy to get in touch for support from Mayhew if there are any concerns or questions. I also knew from the beginning that saying goodbye to foster cats was going to be tough, so I’d say it’s important to focus on the fact that you are providing a good foundation for a future home for the cats in your care.”
To find out more about being a foster carer for any of the kittens in Mayhew’s care, please visit https://themayhew.org/foster-carers-needed/
