Seattle Humane cares for newborn kittens abandoned in paper bag near I-90

UPDATE, JULY 31: We received the video below of one of the kittens being nursed back to health.

ORIGINAL TEXT: Seattle Humane took in five newborn kittens Tuesday morning found abandoned in a paper bag near I-90.

The three males and two females were found by a passerby and are likely only a few days old, so they’ll have a rough road ahead, officials at Seattle Humane said. Without a mother, newborn kittens have a 50% survival rate.

Officials said they were examined, fed and placed in an incubator with a snuggle kitty, a stuffed cat that emits warmth and a heartbeat sound to simulate closeness to a mother cat.

Because a surrogate mother could not be found for the kittens, two foster parents volunteered to help keep the kittens alive, which includes feeding them, regulating their body temperatures and other functions.

Scroll down to continue reading

More news from KIRO 7

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP 

"Any time a shelter person hears 'orphaned bottle babies,' you know you're walking into an emergency and that it's time to hustle," said Foster Program Manager Christina Charlton. "These kittens could have been in much worse shape, but they overall were in good health.”

"They were clean, dry, had full bellies, and took the bottle decently. I'm hopeful we'll be able to reach a positive outcome for most -- if not all -- of them."

Seattle Humane has taken in 2,536 cats and kittens so far this year, either through owner surrender or through transport via the nonprofit's Life-Saver Rescue program, officials said.

What to do if you find a litter of kittens: 

If the kittens are not in immediate danger, it is best to leave them be. If the animals are clean and dry, it is likely that their mother is caring for them, has only momentarily left them to go find food for herself, and will return. You should check on the kittens every few hours to see if the mother has returned, but it is best not to linger, as that may scare the adult cat. If no mother cat has surfaced after 12 hours, you can then consider moving the kittens.

If the kittens are in imminent danger (such as on the side of the road, in a puddle, in extremely cold or hot weather, or if any of the kittens in the litter are already deceased), it is advised that you move them to safety and then contact your local animal control or municipal shelter. These organizations are the best route for owners to reclaim lost pets. Regional Animal Services of King County (RASK) is the recommended resource for those who find stray or abandoned animals.

Cox Media Group