WHITEWATER REGION (Beachburg) — A Beachburg man may soon be known as the cat whisperer.
Dave Shields has rescued eight kittens – six most recently and two in the spring.
Dancer and Prancer, the two from the spring, are now healthy and thriving on their own. While Mr. Shields can pet Prancer, Dancer is a bit shy still.
He recalled earlier in the spring when the mother cat and her three kittens were found behind his house. They were kept out of the weather by a hole in the shed and an area created for them inside by Mr. Shields. It was sad, but one of the kittens didn’t make it.
The six most recent ones came into his care following the death of the mother cat.
The people in the area knew the cat had kittens, but didn’t know where.
“She went away for a couple of days and when she showed up she was ravenous,” Mr. Shields said. “She was hungry a lot.”
A few days ago, Mr. Shields’ said his neighbour told him that one of his kittens had been killed on the road. However, upon closer examination, it wasn’t Dancer as first thought, but the mother cat.
But, it wasn’t until five days after her death that the cries of the kittens could be heard.
“They were in a pile of tires and junk behind that garage,” Mr. Shields’ said pointing to an area to the side of his home, located on Main Street in Beachburg.
With help from the neighbour’s sons, a fishing net and a can of salmon, the kittens were soon captured, he said.
The six kittens, figured to be around six to seven weeks old, are now safely in Mr. Shields’ garage in a large box he made. They had been staying in large bins, but there wasn’t much room for them to run around.
“They’re much happier now,” Mr. Shields’ said, adding, “They have room to run around now.”
As for the six kittens, Mr. Shields is hoping they won’t be around his home for long.
“We’re going to try and find homes for them,” he said. “We already have a cat in the house.”
If interested in having one of the kittens, contact Mr. Shields, 613-582-3483.
