An animal rescue group saved a cat and her litter of kittens from a construction site at Burnaby's Metropolis at Metrotown last weekend.
Mall security called the Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association (VOKRA) on Friday about the cats because they kept triggering the site's security alarm at night.
"The momma cat was being a good mother and found a safe haven away from Vancouver's huge coyote population," said Maria Soroski, a cat trapper with the association. "But a construction site is still a dangerous place for kittens. It's lucky the kind people who work there found them."
The construction site was heavily protected by high, locked wooden fences, so it is unclear as to how the pregnant cat found her way in. "It's sad that in the malls across Canada and North America there are pet stores that have their kittens shipped in from kitten mills, while out here outside there are homeless cats and kittens left unwanted and alone," Soroski said in a press release.
Soroski set a trap Friday and was in possession of the mother cat by Saturday. Soroski suspects the cat was not feral and had belonged to someone as she was rather trusting.
"She was obviously someone's pet who had been lost or abandoned and had not been spayed," she said.
The kittens, however, were lured and caught by staff at the site, who played with them until Soroski returned.
The association is taking care of the mother cat, who will be spayed, and her litter, as they await adoption. One kitten has already been adopted by a mall security guard.
"It is important we educate the public to always spay or neuter their pets," said Karen Duncan, founder of VOKRA. "It is also imperative to avoid supporting the inhumane practice of kitten mills and always adopt. Never buy from a pet store unless you know exactly where their kittens come from."
VOKRA is a no-kill animal rescue association run by volunteers. Go to www.vokra.ca for more information.
