Northampton vets save stowaway kittens a whisker away from disaster

The two kittens had somehow found their way inside the pallet at a depot in Portugal and were promptly sealed in when it was wrapped in industrial strength film wrap and loaded onto a truck heading for England.

After three days, the weak, dehydrated and extremely hungry pair were finally discovered at a warehouse in Northamptonshire, with concerned staff quickly seeking expert care for them at Linnaeus-owned Spinney Vets in Kettering Road, Northampton.

Spinney Vets’ Lauren Walker said: “The two kittens were only four weeks old and one of them wasn’t doing very well at all. That was not surprising after at least three days in a lorry with no air, food or water.

“They were so young they couldn’t even eat solid food as they should still have been suckling off their mother.

“They were weak, dehydrated, super hungry and covered in flea dirt but miraculously both kittens were clinically healthy and perked up very quickly after receiving fluids and some expert nursing care.

“It was extremely important to keep them completely isolated, too, as they had come into the UK without any vaccines, and Portugal has some diseases we haven't seen in this country for a very long time.

“So, the kittens were placed in our oxygen chamber with designated staff contact and strict PPE and cleaning measures to completely minimise any risks.

“We then had to notify the relevant authorities about our little stowaways as we had what were classed as ‘undocumented animals’ under our care and needed to find out the exact protocols and laws surrounding this.

“After discussions with the local council and the Department of Environment, Food and Usual Affairs (DEFRA), we were pleased to secure a place in quarantine for the kittens.”

The pair will be ‘freed’ in October and given a new home by depot worker Rob Hughes, who discovered them, and his wife Victoria, who took them to Spinney Vets.

In the meantime, the generous warehouse company will support the family with the costs of quarantine to ensure the kittens have the best start in life.

Victoria explained: “My husband works for a warehouse company and was unloading a delivery lorry from Portugal.

“As the pallets were being placed into the warehouse, a small white and black kitten was spotted between two boxes which were surrounded with industrial film wrap.

“It was quickly released but did not look well. He was hardly moving and was making no noise.

“Further investigation led to the discovery of the tortoiseshell kitten. My husband retrieved them both, placed them in a box and then called me to take them to the vets.

“They were both covered in fleas, clearly dehydrated and we were not sure the white and black kitten would make it.”

Victoria and Rob quickly became invested in the kittens’ future and a family discussion led to them agreeing to guarantee them a new home and being named Mango and Smudge.

Victoria added: “Somebody needed to take control of the situation and we quickly decided it should be us.

“We are animal lovers and have three cats, two dogs and, up until recently, one bearded dragon, plus we already have a registered vet.

“We just thought it wasn’t the kittens’ fault they ended up in this country, so they deserved a chance, and we knew we could help with that.

“I picked them up from the warehouse and took them straight to Spinney Vets as they needed to be seen and given medical attention quickly. I was also conscious of the risk of disease having been brought in from another country.

“The team at Spinney were brilliant. They were initially surprised due to the circumstances surrounding them, but quickly took control when they saw they were so poorly and took them into the surgery to provide medical care.

“They kept me informed and updated and contacted all the services which needed to be informed such as DEFRA, the council and Trading Standards.

“Once they’d been treated, I went to pick them up from Spinney Vets and took them to the quarantine centre in Essex where they’ll be kept now until October 11 and then, all being well, we’ll bring them home!”

For more information on Linnaeus-owned Spinney Vets, which also has a practice in Wootton Fields, visit www.northampton-vets.co.uk or search for Spinney Vets on Facebook.