It started out as an ordinary morning for a team of trash collectors in Hampshire, England. They were making their usual rounds, rolling bins to the truck, when one of them noticed something strange inside a household bin — a small movement on top of a piece of cardboard.
When they looked closer, they froze.
There, nestled together in the trash, were five newborn kittens — their eyes still closed, their tiny bodies huddled for warmth. They couldn’t have been more than a week old.
Without hesitation, the workers stopped everything. Carefully, they lifted the fragile babies from the bin, wrapped them up, and rushed them to the nearest veterinary clinic. The vet immediately contacted the RSPCA for help.
“It is frightening to think what could have happened to these young kittens had they not been spotted by the refuse collectors,” said RSPCA inspector Leanna Hone in a press release.
Against all odds, the kittens were found just in time. After a checkup, they were declared healthy and placed in the care of the RSPCA Hampshire and Surrey Border Branch, where they could finally rest safely.
Their rescuers gave each kitten a name — Morel, Magpie, Molly, Penny, and Saffron — and made sure their tiny bellies were full and their fur clean.
“All the kittens are doing well and their eyes are opening,” Hone said. “They were given a feed and a clean-up, and I took them to our local branch, who have now placed them with one of their cat fosterers.”
The RSPCA has since launched an investigation to find out how the kittens ended up in the bin and is asking anyone with information to come forward.
Meanwhile, the homeowner whose bin the kittens were found in was devastated to learn what had happened right outside their door.
For now, everyone is just thankful the kittens were found in time — and that a team of quick-thinking workers turned an ordinary trash day into a miracle rescue.
