If being a stray kitten wasn’t enough, imagine also being orphaned only a few days into your existence. Strays have to fight off predators and illness, they have to find their own food and figure out how to keep warm and alive, but Squash and Pinecone were barely old enough to open their eyes when their mother was taken by a coyote. They were left all alone in the world. For a little while, the two kittens only had each other, but by some miracle, a stranger heard their little cries.
Local animal control was ready to help. Lucky for Squash and Pinecone, the animal control officers knew just where to go with two young kittens, and they called up the Connecticut Humane Society. Partnerships between CHS and animal control officers throughout the state have provided thousands of pets with support, whether that’s lifesaving surgery, adoption services, or pet food for a family in financial trouble. These pro bono services and more are a critical safety net of resources that ACOs use in their roles in responding to pets in need.
Once at CHS, the volunteer foster program saved the day for Squash and Pinecone. They immediately went to a home where they would get regular bottle-feedings, a warm and dry place to sleep, and all the care they might have otherwise missed out on if it weren’t for the animal control officer that brought them to CHS.
These kittens could already be described as fierce little creatures given what they’d survived when they were only days old, and foster care only enabled them to get stronger. Squash was turning into a playful and vocal kitten, and she learned quickly how to chase bugs, and assert her independence. Pinecone was becoming a lover of all things toys, and was described by her foster as a sweet and gentle kitten. Once they were old enough for their spay surgeries, these two pretty kitties were brought back to CHS where the in-house medical teams got them ready for adoption.
Squash and Pinecone were adopted to a lovely home and are now called Nickel and Patch. The two of them were bonded for life after what they’d been through, and now get to enjoy life together in a home, safe and far away from the dangers of life as strays, and it’s all thanks to the network of pet lovers that fought for these kittens’ lives.
Happy Animal Control Appreciation (April 9-16), and Volunteer Appreciation Week (April 16-23) from CHS and all the pets like Nickel and Patch whose lives you have saved!