When the Marsh Leys Bedford warehouse workers heard a tiny kitten crying for help, they knew they had to do something. The kitten had been stowed away in a truck transporting furniture from Eastern Europe, which was weak and frightening. The workers carefully climbed over the boxes to find the source of the cries and discovered the tiny kitten. His eyes were closed and would not open, and he was silent, but the workers could see that he needed help.
Luckily, the nearby Bedford and Biggleswade branch of Cats Protection employs Tamzin Eastwood, so the team called her for assistance.
“It was clear that this poor kitten was in bad shape and needed urgent help, so I grabbed a basket and went to the depot,” Tamsin said. “I asked them to check the truck for a mummy cat or other kittens, but there was only this one.
The little guy was ill, his eyes crusted over, and he was barely strong enough to cry. As heartbreaking as it looked, we knew there was still hope for him.
“I took him back to the branch where our vet thoroughly examined him. He needed intensive care and intravenous fluids, so we admitted him to our hospital for treatment.”
Rescuers named the kitten Roman.
Roman’s story is unknown, but he likely searched for a warm place to sleep and ended up trapped in the truck. He probably crossed the border during summer when it started getting hot. Roman must have been very scared and desperate for water. Amazingly, he survived under those conditions.
The cat was malnourished, dehydrated, and in need of eye treatment. Because the cat had come into the country without being detected or having papers or microchips, Cats Protection contacted Trading Standards at Bedford City Council.
“We would always encourage people to get their pets microchipped and registered on a pet travel scheme before taking them abroad,” Tamsin said. “That way, if they go missing, there is a much greater chance of them being reunited with their owner.”
Once Roman was treated and prepared for transport, he was transferred to a DEFRA – approved quarantine cattery. There, he will stay for up to 12 weeks with the support of Cats Protection. Around week 12, cats like Roman receive a rabies vaccine, and after an additional three weeks, the best options for rehoming are considered.
“We are so grateful to the depot workers for their quick thinking and help in getting Roman the care he so desperately needed,” Tamsin said. “Without them, this kitten wouldn’t be alive today.”
