An employee at Pet Pantry of Lancaster County noticed something was strange as soon as she got to work on Tuesday.
The tin deposit box that was used to send out lab test samples was resting on the bench outside while it actually belonged on the back porch around the side of the building.
“She noticed it had been moved, so she went over and opened it up right away,” Bryan Langlois, cofounder and veterinarian of the rescue, told The Dodo. “A little kitten was staring back up at her.”
The tiny calico kitten was only around 4 or 5 weeks old — and she was completely alone. No siblings or mother were in sight. She was dehydrated, stressed and riddled with lice.
Since the box is entirely metal and lined with styrofoam to keep its contents insulated, Langlois said it’s a miracle the employee checked the box as quickly as she did. There were no slits that would have allowed air to circulate.
“It really would have been fatal if she had been in there for a few more hours,” Langlois said. “It was only 8:30 in the morning when she was found, but it definitely would have warmed up in there as the day went on and the sun hit it.”
Langlois and the vet team checked her over right away, and diagnosed her with an upper respiratory infection and an eye infection. They put her on fluids and medicine, and sent her home with Kristine Spangler, rescue manager of the shelter, who will foster her for the next few weeks.
Unfortunately, pet abandonment is a common situation shelters face, especially in spring and early summer when new litters are being born. Many people choose to leave kittens or puppies in cardboard boxes at shopping plazas or outside of shelters — but there’s a much safer and more humane solution.
Work directly with a shelter to get help, advised Langlois. “A lot of shelters are full at the height of kitten season, but we really want to emphasize that it’s still the greatest choice. They are vulnerable to predators, heat, asphyxia, and other dangers when they are packed in a box.
Luckily, this tiny kitten, now named Annie, survived — and it won’t be long until she’s fully healthy and ready for a home of her own.
Although she’s still a little scared right now, she’s already starting to explore, play and show lots of love to her foster mom.
“She wasn’t exactly sure what to make of everything when she first came here,” Spangler said. “But just today, she started to seek me out for pets and cuddles.”
