Boxes with several kittens were found abandoned in the cold weather in a Lethbridge park. (Photo: Levi Cox)

By David Opinko

Kittens found abandoned in boxes in Lethbridge park

Nov 29, 2024 | 9:53 AM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – A Lethbridge man is sharing the story of how more than one dozen cats, including several young kittens, were found in cardboard boxes in freezing weather.

Levi Cox, the owner of Catwalk Salon & Spa, says he was sitting in his vehicle on Monday, November 25, when a woman frantically came up to the door of his business.

She told him that somebody had dropped off a box of kittens in Galt Gardens and that she had found what was believed to be one of the mothers.

Cox and the woman went to the side of the Southern Alberta Art Gallery where, propped up against the wall were two boxes containing 15 kittens that were no more than one week old. He says they were all piled on top of each other trying to keep them warm.

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“We learned later that they were dropped off at 5:15 on Saturday and this is 3:30 on Monday [that] they’ve been there, so it’s a long time,” says Cox. “These kittens were seven days old, so maybe six days old or five days old when they dropped off. So, there’s no food or water for them and if there was water, it would’ve been frozen, but there was no food or water and no mom to be seen.”

“The fact that they were out there from Saturday to Monday is quite disturbing,” he adds.

The cats are rushed inside and Cox’s mom, Joanne, starts to warm them up with a blow dryer and towels.

When they brought the adult cat into the room at the salon, she immediately jumped into the box and started feeding them milk.

“These were her kittens, or at least most of her kittens.”

15 kittens and two mother cats were found abandoned in a Lethbridge park. (Photo: Levi Cox)

15 kittens and two mother cats were found abandoned in a Lethbridge park. (Photo: Levi Cox)

15 kittens and two mother cats were found abandoned in a Lethbridge park. (Photo: Levi Cox)

15 kittens and two mother cats were found abandoned in a Lethbridge park. (Photo: Levi Cox)

15 kittens and two mother cats were found abandoned in a Lethbridge park. (Photo: Levi Cox)

Cox phoned the Last Chance Cat Ranch (LCCR), who told them that the employees at the nearby Progress Clothing store had found a black cat that was equipped to nurse, so she was brought into Catwalk. This cat turned out to be the mother of the remaining kittens.

When all of the cats were reunited, Cox described hearing a “choir of mews.”

Later that day, they received a phone call from LCCR, which had obtained security camera footage from Saturday, showing a man leaving his vehicle with two boxes that matched the ones the cats were in and leaving them on the side of the art gallery.

The video, according to Cox, was a “very disturbing watch.”

Security footage of a man leaving boxes of kittens in Galt Gardens. (Photo: Levi Cox)

Cox says this is a great opportunity to remind pet owners that there are better ways to get rid of pets that they cannot or do not want to take care of.

There are several animal shelters and rescues in the city, such as:

• Lethbridge & District Humane Society
• Windy City Canine Rescue
• Lethbridge PAW Society
• Last Chance Cat Ranch
• Community Animal Services
• Prairie Pets Rescue
• Archie’s Exotic Pet Rescue

Even if you cannot find any shelters that can take more animals in, there are local Facebook pages dedicated to pets, foster homes and neighbourhoods where inquiries can be made as to whether anybody would like to adopt or foster them.

The Alberta SCPA has confirmed to LNN that it has opened an investigation into the matter. Anybody who has information about the person or vehicle in question is asked to contact their Animal Protection Line at 1-800-455-9003.

READ MORE: Lethbridge News Now.

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