Friends of Bisley rally to rehome dumped cat and kitten
The Friends of Bisley Nature Reserve (FOBNR) rallied together on Monday night to find a home for a mother cat and her kitten found tied in two plastic bags in the reserve that afternoon.
In a WhatsApp message shared widely on Facebook, FOBNR chairperson Peter West described how he had momentarily lost faith in humanity after finding a cat and her kitten dumped along the path near Gladys Manzi Road in the reserve.
West said he received a call from FOBNR member Gus Ovendale, who was walking in the reserve and stumbled on “two moving and meowing plastic bags”.
Ovendale called West who came immediately with a suitable cat box.
“Cutting the bags open in my car, out came an extremely distraught very young female cat. The second bag contained her kitten, soaked in urine. I put them in the cat box and the very dehydrated kitten began suckling on mom immediately while the mother meticulously cleaned up her baby,” West shared.
He took the cats straight to Chase Valley Veterinary Clinic where they were seen by vet Carmen Player. Player found the cats to be in good condition, and the kitten was nearly ready to be weaned.
They noted both cats were friendly and appeared to be from someone’s home. Chase Valley Vet offered to keep the cats overnight, but regrettably would not be able to keep them for more than a day or two.
Determined not to let them get put down, especially because they were rescued from Bisley Reserve, West made an urgent appeal to save the cats a second time by finding them a forever home, within a day.
The community responded, sharing the message and trying to find a home for the mother cat and her kitten. Drew Henwood from RE/MAX Midlands put the message on his business Facebook page, which was shared 90 times.
In just over two hours, that same night, someone came forward, offering both the mother cat and her kitten a home.
FOBNR is working with Maureen Vida who has organised for the cats to get sterilised and inoculated through her feline feral sterilisation project, Pmb
TSR (trap, release, sterilise). The costs have been paid for by one of Vida’s sponsors.
West said the community’s support to find the cats a new home had restored his faith in humankind.
“These kitties may have gone through a horrible time but they can look forward to a blissful future. Our grateful thanks to Maureen for her willing support of FOBNR,” West said.