Hilton Garden Inn Joplin Employees Rescue Newborn Kittens

A group of employees at the Hilton Garden Inn Joplin in Missouri showed their kindness and compassion when they recently came to the rescue of a mama cat and her newborn kittens.

Housekeeper Zitlaly Torres, Executive Housekeeper Dusty Armstrong and Kimberly Roy of the laundry staff discovered a stray cat lingering near the hotel during their break time. It soon became apparent that she was expecting. Concerned for her well-being, the staff tried to make her feel safe while she was pregnant. Kimberly fed the cat, and Dusty brought cat food.

As time passed, the team realized the kittens must have been born. Dusty and Kimberly searched a nearby woods until they found the babies under a cardboard box, which the mama cat used as a shelter. The tiny kittens, just days old, were thankfully unharmed. Dusty and Kimberly gathered them up and placed them with their mama in a kennel temporarily.

Zitlaly eventually took them all home to look after them, ensuring the mother cat had plenty of nutritious food and a warm, comfortable space to nurse and care for her babies.

“It was a team effort,” said General Manager Tabitha Vaughn, who praised her staff's quick response and empathy, as well their compassion and dedication to service. “Mama cat and the kittens are safe and are all doing well,” she said.

The kittens are blossoming under the loving care of Zitaly and her family and will be available for adoption as they get a little older.

This rescue effort is a testament to the power of kindness and community, and a reminder that even in the quietest corners, there is love to be found and shared, and that even the smallest acts of care can make the biggest difference.