It was a calm Monday morning in St. Louis, Missouri, when a homeowner noticed a vehicle pulling up near his property. What happened next left him utterly speechless. “A man walked outside today to see a woman dumping two large totes in his front yard and taking off,” Stray Rescue of St. Louis (SRSL) shared on Facebook. Curious, the man rushed to investigate the plastic containers left behind. Each tote had holes poked into the lid, and when he opened them, he couldn’t believe what he found.
Inside were 20 kittens, their tiny faces peeking out, scrambling to escape. The helpless kittens, abandoned without a trace of their owner, needed help fast. Without hesitation, the man loaded the bins into his car and drove straight to SRSL’s headquarters. Though the man warned the rescue team about the number of kittens, even they were stunned by what they discovered.
The first container revealed eight kittens, around six weeks old, old enough to begin eating on their own. But the second tote held an unexpected surprise: an entire feline family. “When we opened this one … OH! Babies!” SRSL wrote on Facebook. “Two adults and TEN babies.”
With the rescue’s kennels already stretched to capacity, the team knew they had to act quickly. Each group of kittens required different care—the older ones were ready for solid food, but the younger ones still needed their mother’s milk. SRSL immediately put out a call on social media, asking for foster families to step up, and by the very next day, every kitten had found a temporary home.
The two groups of rescued cats were given special names. The younger kittens, along with their mother, became the “Fried Green Tomato family,” and were placed in a cozy foster home where the little ones could nurse in peace. The older kittens, now known as the “Sailor” family, were placed in pairs or small groups across several foster homes.
Four of the Sailor kittens—Rudder, Bilge, Lazzarette, and Passerelle—found their way to foster parent Nathan Light. “They’re all doing great and adjusting to their temporary home,” Light told The Dodo. “We already have several people interested in adopting them!”
Meanwhile, two more Sailor kittens, Halyard and Scupper, settled into their new foster home with Quinn McLendon, where they quickly captured the hearts of everyone around them. “Halyard and Scupper are super sweet and cuddly!” McLendon shared. “They always snuggle up to each other. They sleep with us every night and love to purr.”
Though both kittens bonded with their foster mom, they developed a special attachment to her boyfriend. “They immediately bonded to my boyfriend and think he’s their mom,” McLendon added. “They are so soft and snuggly. I love how sweet and cuddly they are.”
Despite sharing the same start in life, the two kittens have distinct personalities. “Scupper loves to play with the cat wand and is very rambunctious,” McLendon said. “Halyard is a little more reserved and loves to look out at the lake.”
The kittens currently share their foster home with two dogs and five other cats, including two former SRSL rescues. Although McLendon adores the pair, she knows they would do best in homes with fewer animals, giving them the space and attention they deserve.
Fortunately, her friends stepped in to help. “My best friend, Autumn, saw me post about Halyard and immediately sent in an application and was approved!” McLendon said. “My other friends, Shannon and Timothy, applied for Scupper!”
Soon, both kittens will move into their forever homes, but they won’t have to say goodbye to McLendon for good. Their new families plan to stay in touch, ensuring the kittens remain part of her life. “I am so excited for their next steps in life!” McLendon said.
This incident sets a dangerous precedent for what is acceptable in our educational institutions.
What began as a heartbreaking abandonment has now become a story of hope and new beginnings. Thanks to the kindness of a stranger and the efforts of SRSL, these kittens are on their way to the happy endings they deserve. We are confident that every ‘tote’ kitten will find their forever families soon.