From rescued to rehomed: Keira's story

Every day at SPCA, we come across cases of animals suffering that reinforce the importance of desexing.

Earlier this year, a member of the public called a local animal rescue group in Southland to report a large number of unwell cats and kittens. When they reached the property and saw the scale of the issue, SPCA were called – it was a case of a colony that had simply got out of hand, and we were saddened to see so many sick kittens in desperate need of help.

Little Keira was just one of these kittens.

Tiny, terrified, and with their lives on the line, the numerous kittens and cats were taken for urgent vet treatment.

Malnourished, dehydrated, covered in fleas, and with one of her eyes in bad shape, the situation was touch and go for Keira. After receiving initial vet treatment, this little one came into the care of our Invercargill Centre with her littermates.

It was just the start of a long road to recovery, but our team were ready to put in the work, and the love, to give these innocent animals the best possible fighting chance.

Jess, one of our Animal Attendants, said she remembers Keira when she first came in.

“The poor thing was so scared and nervous when she arrived, huddled with her littermates. But she was a total sweetheart,” Jess said.

It can be heart-breaking to see animals come into our Centres filled with so much fear, but it often doesn’t take too long for them to realise that they’re safe, and that the humans around them are there to help.

With ongoing care and medical treatment from our team, Keira’s health slowly started to improve; she began to gain weight, the fleas and worms eventually disappeared with treatment, and it was clear she was becoming stronger with every passing day.

It was wonderful to see Keira slowly start to come out of her shell – having never had toys before, she wasn’t sure what to do with them at first. As she became more relaxed and curious, her playful kitten side started to shine through, and the moment she started playing was overwhelmingly joyful for our team!

Although Keira’s general health was improving, her right eye was badly damaged, and she needed to be booked for surgery to have it removed.

While it may seem like a major surgery, many cats recover well from this operation, and go on to live normal happy lives with just one remaining eye!

When the surgery was complete, Keira didn’t slow down at all, reinforcing the vet team’s decision, and confirming that they had certainly made the right call. Without the discomfort of her painful eye holding her back, this little girl continued to flourish, growing more confident with every day in our Invercargill Centre.

Jess told us that it was the time Keira spent in the company of other more confident kittens that also helped her come out of her shell.

“Keira spent a lot of time with these two amazing blind kittens, named Europa and Cecelia. These two were so confident and outgoing even though they couldn’t see, and Keira watched how they interacted with people. They were such a positive influence on her, and she started to warm up to people more and more,” Jess said.

“It was so great watching her get closer and closer to us humans, and eventually become a little snugglebug!”

As Keira became more sociable and had fully recovered from her eye surgery, she was moved into the adoption room with some other young cats, ready to find their forever homes!

Keira spent a lot of time with another kitten named Porscha. Porscha may have been a couple of weeks older than Keira, but she was happy to show her the ropes in how to make the most out of playtime.

Keira loved to spend time with her buddy Porscha, which is why it seemed the stars aligned the day they had a meet-and-greet with their new human – who decided to take them both home together.

Their new family told us “Keira loves having a sister to play with. Our other cat, Charlie, is getting used to having younger cats around too. Both Keira and Porscha love the dogs, and have settled in well with them – though the dogs aren’t too sure what to do when the cats curl up to sleep beside them!”

It sounds as though Keira got her perfect happy ever after, and we couldn’t be more thrilled.

Do you have space in your home and your heart to take in an animal in need?

• To provide short-term care, sign up to foster here.
• To provide a loving forever home, check adoption profiles here.