What would you do if you found a litter of kittens alongside a busy road? Difficult, right? What if the mother was gathering food for her kittens and upon her arrival finds them gone? She would be devastated. But from your perspective, what happens if the mother is gone, possibly injured in an accident, or was chased away by another animal? Deciding the right course of action can be an ordeal because you have so many factors to put into consideration.Hamdan Shibli, an 18-year-old, was on his way to work when he discovered three kittens on the edge of a dirt road terrified and huddling together. While many would have cared very little to stop and check on them, Hamdan did stop and yearned to save the fragile looking kittens. He waited for some time to ensure that the kittens were not being separated from their mother. Seeing no sign of her return, Hamdan decided to move the felines to a nearby bush and left for work.
Shortly after, he posted the pictures of his encounter online, he learned that these weren’t in fact some ordinary domestic cats. They were a special breed. These were Jungle Cats!
Jungle cats or Felis Chaus are found mostly in China, the Middle East, Indian subcontinent, Central and Southeastern Asia. Contrary to domestic cats, it is a large, long legged feline with sandy brown, reddish or grey coat lacking spots. It lives in swamps, wetlands etc. Due to the destruction of wetlands for construction and other purposes, these cats are losing their habitat, making it difficult for them to survive.
Hamdan rushed back to the spot where he had hidden them under a bush. They were weak, pale, and covered in ticks. One would have to be heartless to leave these vulnerable tiny balls of fur on their own in this selfish world. Unfortunately, their mother had still not returned.
He couldn’t just leave them alone. He put them in a basket and took them to a veterinary clinic for immediate medical attention.
In spite of Hamdan’s efforts, one of the kittens was too weak and passed away. Fortunately, the boy had changed the lives of the other two who survived against all odds. They were given the required medical care and fluids through syringes. The condition of the two fluffy kitties improved and were given meat followed by a soft food diet.
The Vets at the Wildlife hospital stated that these kittens were only 5 weeks old. Imagine the horror of being left on your own without food. Who knows how long they’d been starving on that dirt road before he came along? So kudos to Hamdan Shibli who deserves our respect for doing this noble deed! If it were not for him, these kittens would probably be dead by now.
They are being given a proper diet and are taken care of so that they can return to the wild. They should be better very soon considering the progress they have made in such a little time.
