Five kittens rescued in the aftermath of a wildfire in Port Alberni last week are recovering from burns at the Alberni-Clayoquot branch of the SPCA.
The fire, believed to be human-caused, broke out June 20 in the Rogers Creek gully about 245 metres behind the SPCA building.
The kittens were found by Port Alberni Fire Department crews checking the scene of the fire, which reached 0.75 hectare in size but did not threaten the building.
“The response from fire crews in Port Alberni was outstanding,” said branch manager Sam Sattar. “They did sweeps of the area over two days, finding one kitten and then two more shortly afterward on the first day, and then two more on a sweep the following day.
“Because the fire happened so close to the animal centre, we were able to rush [the kittens] to an emergency veterinary hospital and get them treatment quickly.”
He said the kittens might have been connected to a homeless camp that was in the area, “but no one has come forward.”
One of the felines escaped with just a bit of singed fur and will be ready for adoption shortly, while the others have burns on their paws, tails, ears and noses. Among them is a kitten that also has burns on its face, mouth, eyelids and abdomen.
“We have the kittens recovering at the home of one of our staff members so they can receive the specialized care they need to recover,” Sattar said. “They are all set up with special litter that won’t stick to their paws or cause them discomfort when they step on it.”
He said three of the kittens are walking very gingerly due to their burns, and one doesn’t walk at all because it is so uncomfortable.
“The four [injured] kittens will require eye drops three times a day and will also need their burns treated with ointment three times a day,” Sattar said. “They are getting pain medication a minimum of twice a day.”
They are expected to be available for adoption by mid-July after spending time in foster homes.
Despite their injuries, the kittens have all been purring from the outset, Sattar said.
“It is unbelievable,” he said. “Even on the way to the veterinary hospital prior to any supportive care or pain management, the healthiest of the kittens were playing and acting like kittens.
“The ones with the more serious injuries have just wanted to sleep, heal and cuddle with each other on a plush blanket that doesn’t cause their burns any discomfort.”
Petsecure Pet Health Insurance heard about the kittens and has offered to match all medical donations up to $3,500 to help with both their care and and the care of other animals.
Donations can be made at medical.spca.bc.ca.
