Pregnant cat leaves Spain as ship stowaway, arrives in Texas with kittens

By Carol Christian | April 30, 2015

 

 
A beautiful family of orange tabby kittens and their mother are enjoying the comforts of suburban America, thanks to the soft hearts of a oceangoing ship crew.
Born March 17 on board a container ship sailing from Spain to Houston, the kittens are progressing well and are expected to be ready for adoption next month, depending upon their individual circumstances, said Monica Millican, president of the Friends of League City Animal Shelter.



The volunteer organization is hosting the mother, Federica, and her four kitties named for radio tag signals: Bravo, India, Juliette and Zulu.
Anyone interested in adopting one of the cats is asked to visit the Friends group's website for an adoption form as well as information on making donations. The website also features other adoptable animals available through the shelter.

Because of the high interest in these international kittens, volunteers want to make sure they go to appropriate homes, where they will be likely to thrive, Millican said.
The Friends organization is encouraging potential adopters to consider adopting another young kitten from the shelter if they don't already have a kitten to be a buddy for the new arrival, Millican said.

"That always sounds like we're trying to sell more kittens," Millican said. "We're not. We're just looking out for their welfare."
A tiny kitten that's separated from its siblings and mother too soon can become depressed, quit eating and die, she said.

Rather than adopting two of the international siblings, it's better to get kittens that aren't related, Millican said.
"If there's a genetic problem, you will have two with the same problem," she said.
So far, however, the quartet of babies is doing fine, she said.

They were affectionately cared for by the Italian-speaking ship's crew after their discovery during a rain storm.
An employee of the ship's U.S. agent, Wilhelmsen Ship Service in Houston, is also a volunteer with the League City Animal Shelter and was able to help work out details with multiple agencies to allow the feline family to leave the ship.

Wilhelmsen Ship Service also made a donation to the kittens' care with proceeds from a dunking booth at a family fun day, Millican said.
Since the kittens' arrival April 2 at the Port of Houston, they have been receiving medical care at Marina Bay Animal Hospital in League City, she said.

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