BOISE, Idaho — A small kitten made big waves in Boise, proving the power of social media for bringing awareness to the importance of spaying and neutering cats in the Treasure Valley.
When I saw a stray Siamese kitten on the side of the greenbelt Thursday, I knew I had to do something to try and save its life. As it turns out, I'm not alone. That is exactly how many Idahoans feel who saw my social media post.
The kitten had a ruptured eye, appeared malnourished, and appeared only about three or four months old. I tried to get near it, but it scurried into the brushes of the riverbank.
I called Animal Control and they told me I'd need to capture the kitten in a crate or box before they would take it in.
That's when I turned to social media for help, asking if anybody has experience containing stray animals.
#PleaseRT: Do any of you recognize this kitty? I was running along the Greenbelt just now by Quinn’s Pond (opposite the Sandbar Grill) when I came across this stray Siamese kitten with a badly infected eye. Looks to be about 4 months old. pic.twitter.com/EYr4TGh5Mv
— KIVI Madeline White (@madelinewhiteTV) September 19, 2019
113 shares on Facebook, 55 comments on the Nextdoor app, and countless private messages later, Idaho's response for the little kitty was overwhelming.
On Thursday, a group of crate-toting women reported immediately to the area, saw the kitten, but were unsuccessful in capturing it. Friday, the mission continued.
"We're gonna set the trap here. We're gonna try to make it stable," said Emily Sullivan with Happy Jack Cats, a foster-based rescue group in the valley. "And there's a can of food in the back."
The live trap she brought along is designed for luring animals into safety.
"This is an unowned cat most likely. It sounds like it's young so it was probably born out here," said Sullivan.
She said stray cats like this are so common in our area, that Happy Jack is currently not accepting any more surrendered kittens because there is no room for them.
"Every single day, we are turning away people and referring them to other places, um. But everybody's full, and it's super sad," said Sullivan.
So I headed over to Simply Cats Adoption cCnter to see if they were experiencing the same thing.
"We are constantly receiving intake applications for stray cats and kittens that need homes. And we unfortunately have to turn a lot of people away," said Nicholas Edge, outreach coordinator at Simply Cats.
Both agreed the problem is that not enough owners are spaying and neutering their cats. For low-income cat owners, nonprofit organizations like Snip in Meridian will perform the procedure at extremely discounted rates.
"Somebody failed that cat's mother, and didn't get her spayed. And now this kitty is out here suffering with a ruptured eye, living by itself in the pouring rain, so for compassion reasons, people should spay or neuter their cats," said Sullivan.
The cat was caught and rescued Friday evening. Rescuers say she will go to a foster family to receive medical treatment. Her new foster owner (who says she's a girl) decided to name her Quinn after the location where she was found, Quinn's Pond. Once she is healthy, she will go up for adoption. To stay updated, follow my Facebook Page or Twitter.
