One morning in St. Louis, Missouri, an ordinary scene unfolded as a man noticed a car pulling up outside his house. Little did he know, the events that would unfold next would take him completely by surprise. Stray Rescue of St. Louis took to Facebook to share the story.
“A man walked outside today to see a woman dumping two large totes in his front yard and taking off.”
He quickly moved to the bins to investigate after seeing the sight. Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the lids had been punctured with holes. With a mix of astonishment and disbelief, he opened the bins and was met with the gaze of 20 adorable little kittens.
Bins filled with kittens of all sizes were overflowing as each tiny feline desperately tried to scramble out. There was no sign of the woman who had left them behind, so the man swiftly gathered up the bins and hurriedly transported the precious cargo to SRSL’s shelter.
He informed the shelter staff of the incident, but they were still surprised by everything. Inside the first bin, they discovered eight kittens, approximately six weeks old. The second bin held an even more surprising revelation:
“When we opened this one … OH! Babies! Two adults and TEN babies.”
The kittens in the first bin were independent enough to eat by themselves, while the smaller ones in the second bin were still nursing. Due to the shelter being close to maximum capacity, the staff was in urgent need of finding foster homes as quickly as possible.
A plea for assistance was shared on Facebook, and within twenty-four hours, all the kittens found temporary homes with foster families.
The kittens from the second bin, also known as the “Fried Green Tomato family,” were placed in a loving foster home where they could be nursed and cared for. As for the kittens from the first bin, referred to as the “Sailor family,” they were divided into pairs and groups of four and placed in different foster homes.
The shelter’s foster dad Nathan shared that four of the Sailor kittens (Bilge, Rudder, Passerelle, and Lazarette) have been doing well since they went home with him.
“They’re all doing great and adjusting to their temporary home. We have several people interested in adopting [them] already!”
In the meantime, Halyard and Scupper, two Sailor kittens, have also been fortunate enough to find a loving foster home where they have quickly endeared themselves to their temporary family. Quinn, their foster mommy, couldn’t help but share her experience, saying:
“Halyard and Scupper are super sweet and cuddly! They always snuggle up to each other. They sleep with us every night and love to purr.”
“They immediately bonded to my boyfriend and think he’s their mom. They are so soft and snuggly. I love how sweet and cuddly they are.”
When they’re not cuddling, every kitten has their favorite activities. Despite coming from the same place, they have developed unique personalities.
“Scupper loves to play with the cat wand and is very rambunctious. Halyard is a little more reserved and loves to look out at the lake.”
Quinn has a deep affection for the kittens, who are currently residing with two dogs and five other cats, two of which used to be residents of SRSL. However, Quinn acknowledges that these kittens would thrive even more in homes with fewer animals. Fortunately, her friends have stepped up to lend a hand.
“My best friend, Autumn, saw me post Halyard and immediately sent in an application and was approved! My other friends, Shannon and Timothy, applied for Scupper!”
The kittens will soon be moving to their forever homes, but they will still have the opportunity to see Quinn frequently.
After a challenging beginning, these kittens and the others from the bins are finally getting the happy ending they deserve. It’s all thanks to the kind man who decided to do the right thing when he discovered the abandoned two bins.
Quinn expresses her immense excitement for the future, and we share in that enthusiasm! Keep an eye out and follow SRSL on social media for further updates on these fortunate furry companions.