Barb Gosselin, the founder of Shuswap Paws Rescue, received a call from a small Canadian community three months ago. The caller mentioned three kittens in need of assistance.

Barb made contact with the owner of the kittens. “She said her neutered bronco dragged the kittens through the cat door and deposited her on the bed,” Barb explains.

“The woman was taken aback. She walked outdoors, but couldn’t see the mother cat, and she had no clue where the kittens had come from.”

Barb and volunteer Kelsey McKnight hurried to the community after realizing that a sterilized cat could not feed and completely nurture kittens.

Apparently, the little ones were wild: they hissed and spat at anyone who dared to approach.

“They were very thin, apparently, they had not eaten for a long time. From all this, we concluded that they were born by a wild cat, which then died, ”says Barb.

“The kittens hissed, rushed, and avoided any touch with the humans.” But, no matter how terrified they were, we persisted to show that our motivations were the best,” Kelsey continues.

Later, while driving in the vehicle, the women realized that the furry sisters were suffering from a variety of health issues, so they drove to the veterinarian clinic right away.

“We noticed in one of the girls a condition called nystagmus, in which there is frequent, uncontrollable blinking.”

“The veterinarian determined that the kittens suffered from frostbite, severe malnutrition and dehydration. That’s why they acted so desperately – from lack of nutrition and a deadly mixture of fear and stress.

Barb brought them home for a few days to heal in case of an emergency. Two of the girls recovered quickly, but the third, who was the most terrified, required more time and assistance to learn to trust.
They were taken in by volunteer Kristin to continue their adaption. Loki, her own cat, was immediately there to provide a hand.

Loki, who was also taken in by Christine, took on the most frightened girl named Varadero.

He spent a lot of time with her, helping her gain confidence, and by his own example, showing that people are not so bad.

“When Varadero Sizzling Pants first entered the home, she was really stressed, her eyes were continually flashing, she was panting, hissing, and she didn’t trust anyone,” Christine adds.

“It’s been a little over a month, and she now entirely trusts me, no longer hisses, and no longer tries to flee when I go too close. This is what happens when you behave from a place of love rather than fear.”