A family moved into their new home and discovered kittens and cats living in their barn.
A family moved into their new home in the countryside of Abitibi-Témiscamingue, Canada earlier this year. They soon discovered that their barn came with a few rambunctious little kitties.
As it turned out, a feline family had been living in their barn for some time. Knowing that Canadian winters are relentless, Joanie the homeowner immediately placed warm shelters in the barn while setting out on a rescue mission to get the kittens into good homes.
Her plan was to get the feral mom spayed before she became pregnant again, and find the kittens help through a rescue. She sent a plea to Chatons Orphelins Montréal, a cat rescue in Montreal, about 700km away, after no one else offered to help.
"She contacted vets and shelters in Abitibi, but couldn't find anyone to help her. So we made a commitment to take them in," Celine Crom of Chatons Orphelins Montréal told Love Meow.
After setting a humane trap in the area, one of the kittens walked in but the others were more elusive. The little kitty named Jules was shy at first, but quickly warmed up to his humans after getting some food and pets.
While Joanie continued trying to get the rest of the feline family, a kind person volunteered to transport the kitten to the rescue, so he could get the medical attention he needed.
"Jules did very well on his long car ride to the vet and went to his foster home for socialization."
"He quickly discovered that feather toys are fun to play with, and even befriended the resident cats," Celine added.
Jules had his first cuddle session with Foster Mom Marie-Lyne and quickly turned into a love-bug. The little former barn cat grew to enjoy being held and even carried around like a baby.
With a lot of patience and dedication, the two remaining kittens, Junot and Jass, were brought to safety a few days later.
After a long trip to the rescue and being treated by the vet, the kittens were headed to be reunited with their brother Jules.
Not only has Joanie rescued the litter of three, but also she has located both cat mom and dad and is working on getting them vetted and fixed.
The feral cats will continue living in the barn that they call home, and now have dedicated caretakers to make sure they are fed and have warm shelter for the winter.
"Yesterday, the kittens were reunited in their foster home. Jass was very shy after the ordeal and all the changes, but Junot already started to play and run around the house with his brother Jules," Celine shared with Love Meow.
Watch their journey in this video:
Junot follows Jules' lead and is growing more confident by the day. Jass has been observing everyone from the safety of his hiding place, but is slowly coming out of his shell.
Between playing with other cats and eating to their hearts' content, they sleep a ton in their comfortable, warm beds, purring away without a worry in the world.
Jules has quickly become the center of attention. He likes to talk and be around people and other cats. He is encouraging his siblings to watch Bird TV by the window and play with toys.
These kittens will never have to scrounge for food or brace for freezing temperatures as they will be looking for forever loving homes before winter comes.
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