Early this week, Nikki Martinez, a local rescuer/foster based in Las Vegas, was on a TNR (trap-neuter-return) project when she met a woman that needed help.

“She admitted she was in over her head with 20 indoor cats, at least 10 outdoor cats and eight indoor kittens. She had no way of providing for them medically,” Nikki told.

The woman agreed to surrender all the cats and kittens so they could receive immediate medical care, vaccinations, get spayed/neutered and find good homes. Initially, Nikki and her husband thought that there were only eight kittens needing rescue.

“While I was there getting the eight kittens, I heard a kitten cry coming from a large junk pile underneath her carport. But I was unable to reach her,” Nikki said.

Nikki’s husband tried to rummage through the junk pile very carefully but the kitten was hiding inside, completely out of reach. They brought the eight kittens home and returned the next day for the kitten number nine.

“My husband was ‘surfing’ on his belly atop about nine feet of trash. Amongst the trash, he found the bodies of three deceased cats and living there with the bodies was this baby. We could hear her crying but we just couldn’t grab her.”

Once he saw the dire situation the kitten was in, he was more than determined to get her out of there.

After about two hours, they were finally able to safely remove the kitten from the area.

“She was living in a very dangerous outdoor area and I’m so thankful that we could get her out of that unclean outdoor living environment,” Nikki said.

“She was kitten number nine, and I brought her home, bathed her, dewormed her and put her in with the rest of the kittens that were taken from that site.”

Watch the kitty’s rescue and reunion in this video:

Three days ago, these kittens were living in an extreme hoarding situation in filth. Most of the kittens couldn’t see because their eyes were sealed shut with dirt and puss. Yesterday, they played with toys for the first time.

The tabby girl (kitten number nine), now named Jolly, loves to cuddle with her buddy Peppy.

Peppy (female ginger) and Jolly (the number 9 tabby girl)

“Cleanliness and individual care/attention is super important. It’s easy to see them as a group who need care, but each individual kitten needs their own treatment plan and attention,” Nikki said.

Nikki cares for them around the clock. The kittens require frequent feedings and lots of clean laundry.

Nikki will be returning to the site tomorrow with 35 traps to TNR and provide medical treatment for the adult cats living on the property.

“I’ll be going back to TNR approximately 30 cats so we can stop this cycle,” Nikki said.

The kittens are all on antibiotics both oral and eye meds. “It’s amazing what a clean living environment will do for a kitten,” Nikki added.

“Look at them. They are happy, clean, and have full bellies.”