TAMPA, Fla. — Employees at a Tampa business are searching for nursing mother cat to help care for five newborn kittens they found dumped in a box near a dumpster.
Employees with ReedTMS Logistics found the kittens around 2 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon. They say the newborns were sleeping when they found them, but soon became hungry.
"One of our employees was taking a walk and he noticed somebody dropping a box behind a dumpster behind us. He stopped and he heard some noise so he hovered over and found five kittens," said Sandra Downing, an employee.
The business has numerous cameras outside, but employees said the woman parked behind the dumpster.
"We pulled the security cameras. Unfortunately, we couldn't see because the person stopped on the other side of the road behind the dumpster and hidden behind the trees," said Downing.
Dana Cortez, an employee with ReedTMS Logistics, has been caring for the newborn kittens. They must be fed with a bottle every three hours.
"Immediately, I realized how little they were and we probably needed to get them some help immediately," said Dana Cortez.
Employees believe the kittens are only a couple days old because their eyes are still shut.
"The best bet for these kittens to survive is to find a momma cat that is nursing or maybe towards the end of nursing her own kittens," said Downing.
Employees shared their experience on the Nextdoor Neighborhood app on social media. Employees said many organizations like Cat Crusaders have been helpful providing information.
Employees hope they can find a mother cat and eventually find these kittens a permanent home.
"It was not a nice thing to do, obviously. There's a mom looking for her babies somewhere and we have these five babies that don't have a mommy now. I think it's important for people to spay and neuter their pets and not to dump their animals. Obviously in a situation like this, try and find the best solution for these kittens and not just dump them and hope for the best," said Cortez.
