No way out.   She had already tentatively explored her environment, unwilling to leave her 9 small kittens for too long.  The darkness made it difficult to tell day from night, only the small rays of light coming in from where the door fitted in to the wall showed the passing of the hours.   It was bumpy, and a bit loud, but she was stuck there.  At first the noise had been terrifying, but soon it became almost soothing.  Occasionally the movement stopped, but never was there an opening to get out.  Thirst and hunger became almost overwhelming, she felt herself weakening as her kittens’ demands sapped her strength.  How did she get so trapped?  It made her claustrophobic.

      When we heard Jasmine’s story, we could barely believe it.  Somehow she and her nine kittens had gotten into a U-Haul truck.  And they were not found until the truck was driven from Chicago all the way to Los Angeles.  We will never know how that happened.  Did she move her little family in, thinking it was a safe place?  Did she intend on only stopping to rest and get trapped?  Our hearts ached thinking of the fear she must have felt and how anxious she must have been for her kittens.

      Jasmine came to us with five kittens at the end of May. The family that had found her in their U-Haul had given away four of the siblings before the rest got transported to us.  Jasmine was thin, not even weighing 7 pounds and the kittens were small, too.  Her coat was dry and matted and she did not have much energy.

      Upon examination we discovered most of the kittens had indications of an upper respiratory virus.  Upper respiratory viruses in cats are highly contagious and can cause serious illness.  They could not be housed around other felines, so we turned to our foster list. One of our very experienced fosters jumped at the chance to help these little ones and give them the round-the-clock care that they needed.  She took them home and nursed them, offering choice foods and giving them lots of love.  They thrived under her care, gaining weight and beginning to run and play like kittens should.

      Jasmine is now soft and fluffy and she and her kittens are altered and waiting to go to their forever homes.  She is no longer trapped without sunlight or fresh air.  Her past struggles are over and we are pleased we were able to help in her time of need.