Kitten Left in Storm Drain Gets New Lease on Life

Fairfax County Animal Shelter employees found a kitten they’ve named “Jaxom” in a storm drain outside the West Ox animal shelter, most likely abandoned by a human, they said in a post on their YouTube channel.

Volunteers leaving the building heard his cries for help. Wet, shivering and weak, he was taken to Pender Vet emergency for help, they said. At first, it was touch and go for the kitten, but the vets managed to get him stabilized. Once everyone was sure he was OK, he moved in with foster volunteer Dana Grimm to continue healing, according to the shelter.

Once Jaxom gets a clean bill of health from the vet, he’ll stay with Dana until he is 8 weeks old, then he’ll be put up for adoption at the West Ox Shelter. Caring for a newborn kitten is a lot of work. Volunteers who take on the responsibility belong to a specially trained group in the shelter’s Neo-Natal Kitten program.

Watch a video about Jaxom’s journey here, courtesy of the Fairfax County Animal Shelter: