When we returned, we took the kittens out one by one and I used a wet towel to wipe them. Then, after drying them with a dry towel, we fed the little kitties and put them back into the box. We put the box back at the same spot next to the dustbin where we found them, hoping that their mother would come back for them.
Then, at about 5pm. M called me and told me to come take a look at a kitten that was outside the staffroom. I was puzzled. How could those kittens escape from the box downstairs and climb all the way up 2 flights of stairs?
When I went out to the corridor, I saw Q on a stool, bending over to peer behind those lockers that were outside our staffroom. He said, "Be mentally prepared, one of them is dead." I got up on the stool and peered over as well. I was shocked. There was a tiny grey kitten who was making all that noise. Next to her, there was a much larger cat who was obviously totally squashed between the lockers and the wall. The larger cat's eyes were open and its front legs were outstretched, but it was not moving.
"The other cat's much bigger. I think its their mother." I said.
How are we going to move those lockers? They were individual blocks of 3, but they were all sitting inside a frame on the floor. I suggested that we called SPCA as they had the professional people who probably could find a way to fish the cats out of that spot. Then, as I was calling SPCA to get help, Q, F and M managed to move the lockers! I told the lady at SPCA that I would call her back. Then I helped them to move the lockers out.
Much to our surprise, Mummy Cat MOVED!
She wasn't dead! She was just trapped. But when we moved the lockers aside, she "fell" out of that spot she was trapped in and she was kind of wobbly. The little kitten was crawling all over the place and it was meowing away very loudly. Poor Mummy Cat's face was so squashed she looked as if someone was pressing her cheeks together. It must have been painful to be squashed in that position for god-knows-how-long. Luckily they were not crushed instead.
Anyway, we quickly got hold of the extra shelves and doors of the lockers and used them to "cordon" off the area so that Mummy Cat would not be able to run away. It was then that we decided that she was definitely "an animal in distress" and we decided that SPCA should take her away.
I called SPCA again and the lady over the phone explained the policies to me. Basically, their vets would examine the animals that are brought in. Once an animal is diagnosed to be suffering from disease, illness or injury and treatment and cure would take a long time, they would probably put the animal to sleep. I said I was aware of and I understood the policy and informed them that we would like them to come down to get Mummy Cat and her kittens anyway.
We did not know what else we could do. Mummy Cat was obviously injured. Both her eyes looked glazed and there seemed to be pus in them. (Probably the result of being squashed for so long) Even if SPCA only took her away, her kittens do not look well either (3 out of 4 have eye infections too) and they were too young to be nursed other than by their mother.
Calling SPCA was the best option. Their suffering would end. SIGH.
I stayed with Mummy Cat and her kitten throughout, only leaving to pack my bags as the office was closing. (D accompanied the cats while I went to pack). When SPCA finally came, Mummy Cat seemed to have sense the presence of the "strangers" and she hissed fiercely at the guy from SPCA. He put a large brown blanket over her and managed to take the kitten away first (Kitty was put into the large animal carrier). Then he gently rubbed her and calmed her down. Eventually, he was able to catch her by the scruff of her neck and he lifted her into the animal carrier too. Then, one by one, the other 3 kittens were also put into the carrier with their mummy. United at last.
Here are some pics of Mummy Cat and the Little Grey One :
