SEATTLE — Five newborn kittens were found abandoned in a brown paper bag along I-90 on Tuesday.
Now, the kittens are gaining weight, cuddling and eating regularly, according to Seattle Humane.
Last week, a construction worker noticed the roadside bag was moving and stopped to investigate. She heard little noises coming from the bag and found the five kittens mewing inside.
She rushed the kittens to the Pet Resource Center at Seattle Humane in Bellevue, where they were examined, fed, and incubated.
The two girls and three boys were introduced to Snuggle Kitty, a stuffed cat that emits warmth and a heartbeat to simulate a mother cat.
“First thing they received was warmth,” said Christina Charlton of Seattle Humane. “Newborn kittens can’t regulate their own body temperature, and being cold could be fatal for them.”
Since January, Seattle Humane reports they’ve taken in more than 2,500 cats and kittens, and nearly half of them are kittens six months or younger.
With no available surrogate moms for the kittens, Seattle Humane turned to Dave Schwimmer’s family to help foster them.
The kittens will need around-the-clock care and feeding for now. And while they're doing much better, their survival isn’t guaranteed.
“There’s so many options,” Schwimmer said. “Leaving them on the side of the road? What kind of person does that?”
Seattle Humane wants the public to know if they are unable to care for an animal, they will take them in by appointment. You can also bring animals to the King County Pet Adoption Center in Kent.