Pasado's staff fetch felines thrown from vehicle in Sultan

Pasado's Safe Haven animal sanctuary staff rescued six kittens last week, after a staff member witnessed a man throwing them, one by one, out of a vehicle in Sultan on Tuesday, Sept. 15.

All six cats ' one mother and five kittens from what appeared to be two different litters ' were eventually recovered and treated by veterinary professionals at Pasado's Healing Barn. According to Pasado's, all six cats were underweight, had severe flea infestations, ear mites and upper respiratory infections (URI).

"It is clear that this sweet mama cat has been trying her best to care for two litters of kittens without adequate nutrition,GÇ¥ said Healing Barn manager Kendra Madison in a news release. "An examination revealed that mom has a body score of 2.5 out of 9, which is quite telling of what this young mother has been through.GÇ¥

Veterinary professionals frequently rate animals based on a body scale ranging from one through nine, with nine being obese and one being emaciated. The kittens, while scared by the incident, were not assessed as feral, and are expected to make a full recovery.

Pasado's employee Matt McCauley witnessed the incident while traveling to his Sultan residence during his lunch break. He was approaching U.S. 2 on Old Owen Road, when he noticed a vehicle pull out behind him. When he reached a red light at the intersection of U.S. 2 and Old Owen Road near the Sultan Red Apple Market, he watched as the vehicle came to a halt behind him.

As he waited for the light to change, he said he noticed that there seemed to be multiple cats riding in the car.

"I looked in my rearview mirror and he's got three kittens on his dashboard,GÇ¥ McCauley said. "I thought, "That's a little strange.' GÇ¥

Once the light turned green, McCauley continued east on U.S. 2 into downtown Sultan, with the same vehicle on his tail. He became leery as he traveled west down Main Street, he said, and as he passed the skate park, he decided to pull over and let the car pass. Still feeling like something was off, he followed the car for a short distance and watched it turn in an easterly direction.

McCauley didn't follow, but slowed his vehicle to watch the car as he passed by.

"I looked right, and he had pulled over to the side of the road, and he was flinging these kittens out his passenger window,GÇ¥ McCauley said.

The Pasado's employee put his truck into reverse, rounded the corner and approached the vehicle. As he noticed McCauley, the driver fled the scene, he said, leaving a total of six cats in his wake ' two pint-sized gray kittens and three slightly larger striped tabby cats.

McCauley was retrieving them, tucking them safely into his truck one by one, when a nearby property owner came to his aid, bringing out some cat food to help the Pasado's employee round up the frightened felines. An officer with the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office happened by, and attempted to help them collect the last kitten, but she jumped a nearby fence and bolted from the area.-á

McCauley brought the five rescued kittens back to the Pasado's Healing Barn for assessment and care.-á

"They were all in their scrubs, ready to take care of them and immediately did so,GÇ¥ McCauley said. "We've got a great crew here.GÇ¥

Once the five cats were being cared for, Pasado's staff returned to the scene of the incident and canvassed the area, in search of the sixth kitten. Armed with flashlights and nets, they eventually found her stuck underneath a porch at a nearby residence. It took Pasado's staff two hours to free the kitten from where she had become wedged. Finally, the kitten was freed and transported to the Healing Barn for care.

They named the elusive kitten Aly, in honor of a young Sultan resident who helped in the search.

Pasado's Communications Manager Tami McMinn is working to spread the word that Pasado's will spay and neuter animals free of charge, to promote responsible pet ownership. The rescued mama cat is very sweet-natured, said McMinn, and was obviously somebody's pet.

"More than likely she was a pet, he never got her spayed, she started producing kittens, and this is the result,GÇ¥ McMinn said.-á "It happens all the time.GÇ¥

The cats are currently living in comfort at Pasado's. As of last week, the mama cat was contentedly caring for all five of the kittens, even though three of them are the same size as her. Once the kittens have recovered from their URIs and other ailments, they will be available for adoption.

Pasado's hopes the Snohomish County Sheriff's Office will investigate the case and attempt to identify the perpetrator.

"Throwing living animals from a moving vehicle is an intentional act of violence against animals, and this person needs to be held responsible for his actions. Pasado's Safe Haven hopes that the city of Sultan will take appropriate law enforcement action to address this crime,GÇ¥ said Pasado's director of investigations and rescue operations.

Pasado's in a nonprofit organization dedicated to the fight against animal cruelty.

For more information on Pasado's, visit www.pasadosafehaven.org/. To read Pasado's official incident news release, visit www.pasadosafehaven.org/kittens-thrown-from-car-in-sultan-neighborhood/.