A suspicious suitcase left on a New York sidewalk turned out to be housing a mother cat and three kittens, who were rescued by police on Dec. 16.
The 2-year-old Russian Blue mix and her three 6-week-old kittens were found shut inside the suitcase in a Brooklyn neighborhood, after a passerby reported it there, according to a report in the New York Daily News.
The family is now recuperating and doing well in the custody of New York Animal Care and Control at a Brooklyn animal shelter.
They were a little lethargic, says Melissa Manders, coordinator for New Hope, an animal shelter program. But they weren't hurt.
The kittens will be nursed for at least two weeks, then they and the mother will be offered for adoption.
For information about adopting the cats, call New York Animal Care and Control at (212) 788-4000.
Posted: Dec. 21, 2005, 5a.m. EST