At the Patti Dale animal shelter in 91原创, staff are used to surprises, usually coming in the form of meowing kittens left in a box at the front door or in the parking lot.
But last week, a mom and kittens arrived in the most unusual way.
A cat in labour was sent to the shelter via taxi from the 91原创 City area. A woman phoned the shelter ahead of time saying she was sending the pregnant cat in a cab.
鈥淲e get a lot of strange calls, so at first we didn鈥檛 really believe it,鈥� said shelter manager Sean Baker.
But just as the woman said, the cat, named Gumball, arrived along with another cat Soda Pop. The only thing was, Gumball had already delivered two kittens in the cab.
鈥淭he umbilical cord was still attached with both kittens,鈥� Baker said. The new mother appeared terrified and desperate and hadn鈥檛 cleaned the babies.
So staff had to do some work, including tying off the cord with some string found in the office.
To the staff鈥檚 surprise, a third kitten came later. Now mom and kittens (named Hubba Bubba, Juicy Fruit and Chiclet) are living with a volunteer foster mom and will be ready for adoption sometime in early May.
鈥淚t certainly is the most unusual way we have had a cat surrendered before,鈥� said Baker.
The other cat Soda Pop is pregnant too, said Baker. She is due any day.
This strange event was on Tuesday, one day after the day the shelter held its Cupcake Day fundraiser, and also the day of the big snowfall.
鈥淒espite the weather, people managed to raise more than $7,000 for the shelter,鈥� he said.
While the focus should have been on cupcakes that day, two other abandoned cats and their kittens were surrendered to the shelter.
鈥淲e will have a lot of kittens up for adoption in May,鈥� said Baker.
