Every morning, cleaning staff at the Central Missouri Humane Society arrive early to tidy the facility before the shelter opens its doors.
Recently, one of these cleaners was finishing up, headed to the dumpsters to take out the trash, when he stumbled
on a box labeled “mandarins” with an entire fuzzy family inside.
The worried animal lover quickly relayed the news to shelter staff, who’d just arrived. The manager on duty went to grab a carrier, while digital marketing and fundraising coordinator Camryn Long rushed outside to make sure the animals didn’t run away.
Long approached the box and peered over the edge. There they were: a mama cat and her four tiny kittens.
“[The mom] was incredibly friendly, and the babies were nursing on her as she lay there,” Long told The Dodo.
Rescuers took the cats inside and set up a safe space where they could relax. They were pleased to find the whole family in good spirits despite the scary situation.
“The mom and kittens seemed healthy and were very friendly,” Long said. “[Mama] was doing an amazing job caring for her babies and let us handle and vaccinate her with no issues.”
Team members estimated the kittens were between 2 and 3 weeks old, still fully reliant on their mom. They coordinated with their rescue network and found a suitable foster home where the whole family could continue to recover.
Rescuers posted about the cats on Facebook and soon received word from a family nearby. It turns out, the mama cat was named Miss Prisscilla, and she’d been missing for months.
“The owners had believed she had been stolen,” Long said. “[They] called us immediately. Ownership was then confirmed through picture proof. She was not pregnant when she left, and they were shocked to learn that she was a mom. The reunion was incredibly touching, and you could tell they had been deeply missing their kitty.”
Miss Prisscilla and her kittens will remain in their foster home for the time being so they can be monitored by vets and receive experienced care. Once they’re ready, the kittens will begin looking for families of their own.
“We could not have asked for a better foster home,” Long said. “[We] can’t wait to see their little personalities develop!”
