Kittens survive abandonment on side of highway
Eden on the day of her rescue. She was suffering from life-threatening injuries including a collapsed lung, broken tail and broken pelvis.
It was a busy day in late May when the Regina Cat Rescue (RCR) Adoption Coordinator received word of a badly injured kitten. A truck driver from Manitoba en route back to Winnipeg had picked up a young kitten on the side of the # 1 highway. The kitten had clearly been hit by a vehicle and was in distress. He was heading east with a load, but took the time to stop, pick up the kitten and contact a nearby pet store, who referred him to RCR.
He needed a safe place to leave the kitten, and we were fortunate to have a volunteer available to meet the trucker and rush the kitten to a partner vet clinic.
Each day Eden grew stronger.
Things were looking bad for the tiny tortie, whom we named Eden. She suffered a broken leg, broken pelvis, broken and de-gloved tail with exposed nerves, and a collapsed lung. Managing the pain was a challenge, and euthanasia was on the table.
Added to that, RCR was facing a financial crunch and restricting intake due to lack of funds, but we can't control when animals in desperate need will come to us and we didn't want to give up on the tiny, spunky kitten.
Fortunately, Eden made the decision easy for us. After struggling to maintain her body temperature and eat on her own initially, she began to stabilize. Soon, she was strong enough to undergo the amputation of her tail, which was the biggest source of her pain. With the worst of her pain alleviated, she was now firmly on the road to recovery.
Zoe was rescued at the same location as Eden, but luckily escaped injury on the busy highway.
Meanwhile, that same day, another tortie kitten was found on the # 1 highway east. Her rescuer saw the tiny girl, whom he named Zoe, get blown over by the tailwind of a semi truck and knew he had to intervene. Zoe was fortunate not to have been hit by a car. He took the kitten home and contacted RCR for help. The photo he sent was a close likeness to our little injured girl, and given the proximity of their rescue locations, it seems very likely the two are litter mates who were dumped together on the side of the highway.
The pair were reunited at the vet clinic and upon seeing them together, everyone was convinced that they were siblings.
The two siblings reunited!
These sweet girls ended up stray on one of the busiest highways in Regina. They experienced different fates, but ultimately both landed safely with RCR and are healthy, lovely kittens. We're happy to share that Zoe is being adopted by her rescuer, while Eden will soon be on the hunt for her forever home.
RCR is grateful for the caring people who stepped up and donated specifically toward Eden's care. Their generosity allowed us to give Eden the chance she needed to fight for her life, recover and thrive.
If you support RCR's life-saving work, please consider donating today. Your donations are always needed so we can help more cats like Zoe and Eden.
-Alanna, Adoption Coordinator
Eden says "thank you" too!