After a horrible rainstorm in New York City, 3 two-week-old kittens were found alone in the street.
They kittens were located beside 4 deceased siblings that had drowned during the storm. There wasn’t a mama in sight. The three tiny tabbies were in pretty bad shape from trying to survive; they were dehydrated and malnourished. Their eyes and noses were running, and their fur was soaking wet. Rescuers found them shivering and immediately brought them into a vet.
The kittens were still so young, they would require round-the-clock care. That’s when the clinic called vet tech Gill Nunes, a self-proclaimed “cat fixer” and “cat aficionado”.
Gill was excited to take in the kitties, sharing photos on Instagram and joking, “Papa Gill will be very busy tonight!”— but it wasn’t really a joke. From the moment the kittens arrived at Gill’s, they immediately accepted him as their new Mama.
The kittens were happy to climb up on his big chest to hide and cuddle beneath his beard. When the large man sat down to bottle feed them, they accepted it with grateful slurps and purrs.
Gill spent the first night keeping the kittens warm by laying them on his chest. After a full day of being fed every two hours, they seemed to be gaining weight.
Gill named the siblings Donatella, Gianni, and Santo, and all four of them quickly grew quite attached.
“It’s moments like this that makes me so happy to be able to save and protect them,” Gill said.
“They no longer have to feel cold and hungry.”
Sadly, even though the kittens were gaining weight, their upper respiratory infections were getting worse.
Upper respiratory infections are caused by a cat being directly exposed to another infected cat or any item the infected cat has touched. In this case, it’s possible the kittens had the infection when they were originally found but they may have also acquired it in the clinic.
While upper respiratory infections only last about seven to ten days and can be treated with antibiotics, VCA Hospitals explain that some cats have worst symptoms than others. These can include discharge from the nose and eyes, ulcers in the mouth, lethargy, fever and even difficulty breathing.
At one point things got particularly bad for the kittens and Gill had to rush them into critical care. Sadly, despite the best medical help available, Gianni crossed the Rainbow Bridge.
Gill was clearly devastated, but he didn’t have time to grieve the loss. Donatella and Santo had survived the incident and they depended on his care.
Gill was devoted to the surviving babies and even started bringing them to work.
This made caring for them a whole lot easier; now he could keep up with the feedings and play with them whenever he had free time.
Since getting the kittens, Gill has nursed them back to health and is now helping them find a forever home.
Now that the time is getting closer, he is sad at the thought of them leaving. “It’s getting harder to let them go to their new home, I’m so attached to my little monkeys. I love them so much!”
Gill said, “Knowing that I was able to save them and now seeing how happy they are is an amazing feeling of accomplishment.”
As of this moment, Donatella and Santo are still in Gill’s care. If you’d like to follow their adventures, be sure to follow Gill on Instagram, at @catfixerny.
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