Vancouver Island woman’s action helps save 4 kittens
Published 6:00 pm Wednesday, August 12, 2026
A chance encounter along a rural road south of Parksville led to the rescue of four kittens, thanks to the persistence of a local resident and the expertise of a volunteer animal rescuer.
Nikki Welz was walking through the Nanoose Bay area July 7, when she spotted a mother cat huddled beside the road with several kittens. Sensing something was wrong, she returned a short time later to check on them. As soon as she stopped, the frightened cats disappeared into nearby bushes.
Determined to help, Welz made her way through a roadside ditch and into the brush, where she set out food and water in a small clearing. Unsure how to safely rescue the animals, she contacted Kathy Robinson, operator of Moving On Cat Rescue.
Robinson brought humane traps to the site, but a rescue proved challenging. The young mother cat kept her kittens hidden during the day, venturing out only at night to eat.
For the next five days, Welz returned twice daily with fresh food and water, gradually earning the cat’s trust. Eventually, the mother began appearing during daylight hours.
One morning, Welz turned around to find the mother cat emerging from the bushes with all four kittens following behind. By then, the family was severely undernourished, and the mother had reportedly run out of milk.
Welz quickly baited the traps and, over the next few hours, successfully captured the mother and all four kittens. Robinson later transported the animals to a veterinarian for assessment and has been caring for them since.
Robinson said the outcome could have been much different had Welz not returned to check on the cats. The rescue also serves as a reminder that abandoned domestic cats and kittens are often unable to survive in the wild.
The kittens — three females and one male — are scheduled to be spayed and neutered on Aug. 10 before being placed up for adoption. The mother, however, did not make it due to its deteriorating health.
Moving On Cat Rescue is accepting donations to help cover the family’s veterinary expenses. For more information, call 250-240-7702.
It can be difficult to determine precisely when or if a cat has been abandoned. According to Jansait Qughondouqa, the BC SPCA senior officer, regional communications, Vancouver Island and Sunshine Coast region, numbers are consistent with last year.
Year to date, Qughondouqa pointed said, 38 per cent of the cats and kittens coming into the SPCA’s care are surrendered by animal guardians who have made the difficult decision to rehome. Meanwhile, 23 per cent of cats that come into our care are strays, which can be abandoned, animals that have gotten lost, or been born in feral colonies.
“When animals come in as strays, we follow our local bylaw policies or if no bylaw, PCA Act policies, and must check for ID, hold the animal for a number of days while we try to identify the owner, before they can be considered for adoption,” said Qughondouqa. “Many of these animals do not have permanent ID or tags, which makes reuniting with previous owners difficult or impossible. Our goal is always to reunite, especially if the animal is in good condition and we have no welfare concerns. This year we were able to reunite 25 per cent of cats and kittens in our care in this region.”
Currently, the following SPCA centres in the region need fosters for various kinds of animals: Campbell River, Port Alberni, Parksville-Qualicum Beach, Cowichan, Salt Spring Island, qathet and Sunshine Coast.