When a team from Point Guard Management arrived at one of their recently vacated rental homes in Wichita, Kansas, they expected to start renovations. Instead, what they found on the front door stopped them in their tracks — and changed the course of their day.
Taped to the door was a handwritten note from a neighbor. The message revealed that when the former tenants had moved out, they’d left something heartbreaking behind: a mother cat and her newborn kittens.
Patricia Mitnaul, the company’s social media and content creator, immediately began searching the property. Within minutes, a small gray cat appeared — friendly, affectionate, and clearly desperate for human contact.
“This cat is literally so friendly,” Mitnaul shared on Instagram. “I think she’s obsessed with me. I can’t walk without her weaving between my legs.”
Mitnaul affectionately named her Sissy. Though Sissy gratefully accepted food and water, her kittens were nowhere to be found. Mitnaul knew she couldn’t leave until they were safe, too.
Not long after, someone spotted tiny movements near a small cutout leading into the crawl space beneath the house. The kittens were hiding there. Mitnaul called Wichita Animal Action League (WAAL) for help.
Together, the WAAL team and Point Guard staff set up a rescue operation. They managed to catch one kitten in the garage, but the other two darted back under the house.
Determined, one of Mitnaul’s coworkers, Kirsten, crawled into the tight space herself to try to reach them — but the frightened kittens stayed just out of reach.
Finally, with some patience and the irresistible smell of food, the rescuers successfully lured the last two kittens to safety.
At the vet, the entire family was examined — and just in time. All four cats were suffering from severe roundworm infestations, which could have been deadly without treatment.
“Mom got pretty sick from them and likely would not have survived without help,” Mitnaul told The Dodo.
Now safe at WAAL’s rescue facility, Sissy and her kittens are recovering and thriving. The kittens are gaining weight quickly — one smaller “runt” is catching up to the rest — and Sissy is finally able to rest without worry.
“They are almost to 2 pounds, one is a bit of a runt but is catching up,” Mitnaul said. “Overall, they are doing well.”
In a heartwarming twist, Kirsten — the coworker who crawled under the house to help save them — plans to adopt one of the kittens herself. The others, including Sissy, will soon be available for adoption through WAAL once they’re fully healthy and weaned.
Thanks to a single note on a door, and the compassion of a few determined rescuers, a mother and her babies were given the second chance they deserved.
If you're interested in adopting the mama cat, her adoption profile can be found here. For the kittens, their adoption profiles will soon be available on WAAL's cat adoption page.
