Self-Proclaimed "Chronic Animal Gatherer" And Firefighter Saves 8 Abandoned Cats From The Streets
Animal lovers can be found anywhere, even at a fire station. Even the strongest and bravest life-saving firefighter can be rendered into a mushy puddle of love by a litter of kittens.
Lieutenant Ann Hoag of the Auburn South King Fire Rescue recently appeared on the show "New Day Northwest" to share how the litter of kittens came into their station. Lt. Hoag admits that she has a reputation for being the "chronic animal gatherer" of their group.
She joked that she'll always be on call and ready to rescue any cat or animal stuck in a tree. This time, the lieutenant didn't have to rescue the cats from any tree or pole; they were foundlings from another station.
A concerned citizen reported the abandoned cats, which consisted of three kittens and two adults. They were brought to the fire station where Lt. Hoag was working, and her coworkers knew just how much she loved animals, so they immediately brought them to her attention.
Lt. Hoag was off duty at that time, but she didn't hesitate to come in to see the litter. In about an hour, the self-confessed animal gatherer had found loving homes for all the cats.
Two of her coworkers adopted one kitten and one adult cat, while one of the retired paramedics took the rest of the kittens. Lt. Hoag herself adopted the other adult cat.
That's not the end of Lt. Hoag's cat story because the kitty she adopted was about to become a mama
Lt. Hoag named the adult feline she adopted Cricket, and Cricket was pregnant. The vet told Lt. Hoag that Cricket was in her third trimester and that they should expect kittens very soon.
Cricket gave birth while Lt. Hoag was at work, and unfortunately, all the kittens were stillborn. They suspect that the stress of being abandoned and subsequently moving into an unfamiliar home was too much for the pregnant kitty.
Lt. Hoag wasn't about to let Cricket feel the devastating loss of her brood, so she started calling every rescue in their area
She also posted in animal rescue groups looking for a litter of abandoned kittens that could act as surrogates for Cricket
By 5:00 PM on that same day, the groups came together and found a box of week-old kittens for Cricket to nurse. Lt. Hoag met the group in a parking lot where they surrendered the kittens for her to take home to the new cat mom.
The lieutenant placed the kittens in Cricket's box, and she immediately began to nurse them. The cat has no idea that the kittens aren't biologically hers, but she took them in.
It's been weeks since that happened, and the kittens are now fat and happy with their new mom
Lt. Hoag joked that all of her efforts are selfishly motivated because now, she gets some much-needed kitten love
The abandoned litter even looks like Cricket!
The other firefighters have decided which kitten they will eventually bring home
The host of the program, Amiti Addrisi, said that she might be stealing one of the kittens from the police officer
While this story had a particularly sweet ending, the lieutenant discouraged the public from abandoning unwanted pets at the station
Being firefighters, taking care of abandoned animals is not their expertise, she said. The best option would be to surrender the animals to a humane society or contact animal control through their non-emergency line.
The certified animal gatherer is more than just a cat mom; she was also awarded a Medal of Valor for heroically saving a man trapped in a sinking car!
You can watch the full interview below:
While it is sad that this story began with an abandoned litter of cats, it is amazing to know that humans will go above and beyond to help struggling animals. Cricket is lucky to have Lt. Hoag as her human.
The host called Lt. Hoag a hero, and we couldn't agree more. From diving and saving people from sinking cars to rescuing and caring for abandoned cats, Lt. Ann Hoag truly is a modern-day superhuman.
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