Two six-week-old kittens were found under a sled at the Jasper Elementary School, Dec. 13.
The brothers, who have been named Brock and Brody by the ladies at the Jasper Vet Clinic, both suffer from feline upper-respiratory disease鈥攁 disease often found in cats living in multi-cat households. The disease causes red eyes and a runny nose and can be chronic.
Once found on Friday, the cats were brought to the clinic by a bylaw officer. They have since been treated with antibiotics and the redness in their eyes is already improving.
鈥淭hey already look so much better,鈥� said Nicole Klopfenstein, an animal health technician at the clinic.
Klopfenstein said there is no way to know where the cats came from or how they ended up at the elementary school, but she said it鈥檚 stories like this one that affirm the importance of spaying and neutering pets.
鈥淭hese cats are innocent,鈥� she said. 鈥淭o just dump them off at an elementary school, that鈥檚 not fair.
鈥淧eople need to take responsibility when they have an animal.鈥�
That responsibility includes vaccinations, so they鈥檙e healthy, and spaying or neutering, so that there aren鈥檛 unwanted animals being born.
Brock and Brody will be available for adoption at the end of the week. Klopfenstein said for each kitten there will be a $200 fee that will cover the cost of their three vaccinations and part of the cost of neutering them when they鈥檙e older.
Because they suffer from upper-respiratory disease, she said Brock and Brody shouldn鈥檛 be adopted by a family with other cats, as the disease is contagious.
With Christmas upon us, Klopfenstein suggested now might be a good time to donate to the Robson Valley Spay and Neuter Society or the the Hinton SPCA, to ensure that all of the cats and dogs out there are properly cared for this holiday season.
The spay and neuter society can be contacted by calling 250-566-4714 and the SPCA can be contacted at 780-865-2800.
To adopt Brock or Brody, contact the vet clinic at 780-852-5551.
Nicole Veerman
[email protected]
