High in a tree on the island of Guernsey, an owl nesting box sat ready for its next feathered residents. The property owners had even installed a small camera inside, hoping to watch owls settle in and raise their young.
But when they checked the footage, they were met with a surprise no one expected.
Instead of owls, the box was occupied by a mother cat — curled protectively around a litter of tiny kittens.
Unsure how to handle such an unusual situation, the owners reached out to Sue Vidamour of Guernsey’s Lost & Found Pets.
“While we once dealt with a cat living in a tree years ago, we’ve never seen anything quite like this,” a representative from the group told The Dodo.
Vidamour monitored the family closely for several days, making sure the kittens were safe and had enough time to nurse and receive essential nutrients from their mother.
Once the babies were old enough, Vidamour carefully climbed up to the nesting box and brought the kittens down to solid ground.
“The kittens are now about two weeks old and are safe,” the representative said. “They’re being hand-reared by staff at our local veterinary clinic and bottle-fed kitten formula every two to three hours.”
The mother cat, however, slipped away into the surrounding trees. Rescuers have since set humane traps nearby and remain hopeful she’ll soon be safely captured as well.
As for the kittens, their story already has a happy path ahead.
“They’re progressing really well and already have loving homes lined up,” the representative said. “They’re incredibly lucky little ones.”
What started as a quiet owl-watching project turned into a remarkable rescue — and a reminder that animals sometimes find the most unexpected places to call home.
