When six, week old kittens, were brought in to Oak Tree Animals’ Charity by builders who were working on a demolition site and who found them huddled under a demolished building, the Oak Tree team knew they had to act fast. At this young age, the kittens were very vulnerable and there was a high chance they wouldn’t survive.
These tiny babies needed to be hand-reared round the clock, with regular feeds, health checks and constant warmth. It was really important to ensure the kittens also had the chance to develop social skills with each other and get used to handling by humans.
After a vet check, Caroline Yon, Oak Tree’s Intake Team Leader, took on the role of foster carer and they began to thrive. Once they started to open their eyes, the kittens became more independent. The kittens quickly found a warm, furry snuggly mother to curl up with in the form of Skye, Caroline’s old Border Collie, who had fostered young animals before.
Caroline explained “Skye has a history of nurturing baby animals of all kinds. She had two litters of her own when she was very young and helped raise a litter sired by my old Collie, Dodger. She has also helped with orphaned lambs, so she was the obvious choice to fulfil some of the duties that a mother cat would instinctively do but are more difficult for us as humans to replicate. The kittens were starting to look a bit greasy coated as they weren’t being groomed as often as they should and, with 6 in the litter, mealtimes could take an hour by the time they were all fed, winded and toileted. Skye was a natural, she soon had their coats shining and fluffy and she was super diligent not only ensuring they toileted after every meal, but cleaning up thoroughly afterwards too! She’s also a very calm dog and tolerates being used as a kitty climbing frame very well.”
Caroline continued “We are always happy to hear from people who are prepared to help foster animals. This could be anything, from kittens and puppies to elderly cats and dogs. Really it could be any animal that either finds the kennel/cattery environment too stressful or just needs some extra one on one care and attention. To become one of our fantastic fosterers, simply call and make an appointment for a discussion with our team.”
With Skye and Caroline’s support all six kittens are ready for adoption from Oak Tree Animals’ Charity and will shortly be finding their way to their loving forever homes.
For more information about Oak Tree Animal Charity and it’s work please visit www.oaktreeanimals.org.uk
