On a frigid January evening in London, Wendy was heading home from work when she encountered something out of the ordinary. As she walked by a dimly lit alley, four unusual packages propped against the wall caught her attention.
They were tightly sealed with copious amounts of tape, seemingly ready for the next day’s trash collection. Initially dismissing them as odd, Wendy continued on her way.
However, she soon halted as she heard faint sounds emanating from the boxes. Curiosity piqued, she decided to investigate further. As Wendy approached, the sounds became more distinct, resembling cat meows. Concerned for their safety, she promptly contacted an animal rescue organization.
When the rescuers arrived, they chose not to open the boxes on site. Instead, they made small air holes in the cardboard to ensure the cats could breathe during transportation. Unsure of the cats’ conditions, they hurriedly moved the boxes to a secure location to free the animals from their confined spaces.
The Celia Hammond Animal Trust later posted a video on Facebook documenting the careful process of opening each box. In the footage, a rescuer can be seen gingerly cutting through the layers of tape with a butter knife, taking care not to harm the cats inside.
To their astonishment, the rescuers discovered a total of 11 beautiful yet frightened cats within the four boxes. There were nine young cats and two older adults, none of whom appeared feral. One even wore a collar. Despite being underweight and infested with fleas, the cats were otherwise healthy. Remarkably, they remained calm and docile despite their ordeal.
“We can only assume the intention was for them to die as surely everybody knows animals need to be able to breathe to survive,” the group posted on Facebook on January 15. “The boxes cannot have been there very long as without oxygen our vets estimate they probably wouldn’t have lived more than an hour or two.”
The post continued, “One really strange thing is that these cats are really friendly and have clearly once been loved, handled, and cuddled — what on earth would drive an apparently loving owner to do something so terrible? Perhaps it was a family member or neighbor who hated the cats enough to do this.”
Sadly, this seems to have been a disturbing pattern that must be addressed. To protect future animals and provide him with the support he needs, he must be banned from ever owning animals again and undergo mandatory counseling.
The cats were taken to the rescue group’s shelter, where they received ample care and attention. Since their rescue, many people have expressed interest in adopting the affectionate felines. The Celia Hammond Animal Trust hopes to find homes for them in pairs or trios, given their close bonds.
“The cats are doing well,” a subsequent Facebook post read. “Once they had recovered from their shock they have turned out to be friendly and like being stroked. They have all been treated for fleas and worms and vaccinated. Our vets are neutering and microchipping them prior to them being ready for new homes.”
About a week after their rescue, the group shared another update: “The cats are doing well and are getting better every day. The help you have all given has been absolutely amazing and is so very much appreciated. It really is good to know that there are so many people out there who support our rescue work.”
We are thrilled that the cats are recovering well and on their way to finding forever homes. Despite their rough start, these cats now have promising futures ahead.
