“They were so clean, so friendly…I knew they didn’t belong out there”: A stray mom and nine kittens find warmth, love, and a future after being dumped under a dumpster

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Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Aug 5, 2025 4:00 PM EDT

Feline rescue stories are by far and away some of the more harrowing stories we come across. Cats are often treated as vermin in these cases and tossed aside like they do not have a soul, or feelings or even a will to live. And the aftermath is usually a convoluted series of barriers involving high vet bills, unwarranted comments from ill-informed people and a whole lot of tears.

Which is why we are so excited to share this story with you today, for as much as it begins in a less than fortunate way, its progression is nothing but sublime. It goes to show that putting yourself out there does not always mean being put in a dire situation. It shows that love and support for our precious feline fur babies is widespread and active. And it goes to show that there is more humanity out there than we might have once thought.
 

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  • 01
    These were found at my work, under a dumpster, it was cold, 29°, and damp and had been since the weekend. I'm pretty sure they were dumped there because it's a good ways from the closest homes and I can't see the momma kitty dragging 9
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  • 02
    kittens a quarter mile to a dumpster they can't even get into, it just holds construction debris from an open top. Besides, they were all clean and free from any fleas, mites or anything like that. No one could take all of them so I volunteered because I
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  • While it might be weird to say, we do have to thank the person who dumped these poor cattos for placing them under a dumpster that was not used for food or medical waste. That would have truly put this feline family in grave danger of contracting all kinds of infections and illnesses.

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    didn't want them taken to any place but a home. Me and my wife have 4 rescue cats of our own, and we keep them all separated from this new batch. Most of these have already been spoken for from work friends and family, and we'll keep the
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  • 05
    little fuzzy void. They'll be going to the vet soon for their checkups. The kittens are nearly weaned, already eating some dry kibble and wet food, and they've been drinking a healthy amount of water. They all use the litter box very
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  • 06
    well. They should be ready for their new homes in a couple of weeks. Momma kitty is very docile and takes very good care of the kittens, another reason I think they were dumped, she's never hissed at anyone a single time. Plus, feral cats
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    won't just make themselves at home and hop in your lap anytime you come to visit them. The last 2 photos, the first one is the bed I made for the momma so she could get some rest from the kitties and it's up a little ways, that's 10 minutes
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  • 09
    after I fed them after getting them home. She was so tired from the constant nursing she was doing to keep the kitties in good health. The second picture is from a few minutes before I made this post, just momma and 2 of the
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    babies just relaxing and enjoying the warmth and full bellies. Edit: apologies, didn't realize the pic didn't post, give me few. ***Final edit/update: All of the kittens, and the momma, have found
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  • 13
    good homes. 2 individuals took 2 kittens each and one person took 3 but 1 of those was going with her best friend that picked hers out over FaceTime. The lady I work
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  • 14
    with that wanted the momma from the day they were found did in fact take her. We ended up keeping one of the female tabbies to add to our own group, and if you're keeping count with the 8 above, the last one went to another
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  • It is not often that we can use this term for a rescue, but what a resounding success this rehoming has had. It is not often that a rescue situation turns out so good, with everyone involved in good health, let alone the rehoming going so smoothly and everyone finding their furever home with no drama. What a dream.

  • 16
    coworker. Everyone that I see at work that took one or more of the kittens all say how well behaved they are and that they're also very affectionate, which is exactly how the mother is. When they were taken to the vet about 2 weeks ago, he
    via ranger_steve
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    S
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  • 18
    felt that given where they were with their size and growth that they were about 12 weeks old, meaning they would've been about 10 weeks old when we found them.
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    When checked, they all weighed between 2.2-3.5 pounds, all tested negative for feline leukemia and had no worms and were flea free.
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    The vet felt they were a little under-sized but said that with a litter of 9 kittens and a young momma cat that's lean herself, it was fairly normal and had no concerns.
    via ranger_steve

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dumpster clean stray cat reddit story warmth cat story future didnt cat rescue love friendly mom cute kittens dumped
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