A mother cat and her two baby kittens who were taken out of an IDF base in northern Israel and dumped in the woods, miraculously made their way back to the base after what was surely a tumultuous weekend for the animals.
Despite the IDF's animal protection laws, Fernanda and her two kittens had been taken from the Northern Command base in Safed, where they have been living, and taken to the local Biriya Forest over the weekend, even prompting a rescue search.
Fernanda and her two kittens at the IDF base
Fernanda was initially adopted by the soldiers from the Information and Communication Technology, who took care of the cat as if she was their pet.
But, after Fernanda gave birth to two healthy kittens, the division’s deputy commander ordered the feline to be thrown out of the base with her newborns.
The cruel act prompted the soldiers who took in Fernanda to file a complaint with several animal welfare agencies, including with the IDF’s own Animal Administration, which investigated the removal of the cat from the base.
After concluding that removing the feline and her kittens from her home was unlawful and contradictory to the IDF’s values, search teams were sent to the forest where Fernanda and her litter had been taken.
Despite having a large search party, the troops found hide nor hair of Fernanda and her little ones - which the rescuers assumed did not survive amid the cold weather and harsh conditions of the forest.
“We believed that at least the kittens are no longer alive due to their stay in the forest,” a source who assisted the search said.
After searching for the cat all throughout the weekend, the ICT division’s soldiers returned disheartened to their barracks, only to find Fernanda cuddling with her kittens on the bed of one of the troops.
The Northern Command was quick to find an adopted home for Fernanda and her little ones, all while that all IDF commanders are aware of the exact procedures of how to manage and treat animals found at military bases.
Director of the IDF's Vegan Advocate Yuval Hayuroni, who assisted the soldiers in their rescue mission, said the situation could have had an unfortunate outcome. “This is a serious case that could have ended differently, if we had not received a report about it and without external intervention, including from the Animal Administration,” he said.
“We are very happy that the kittens and their mother survived and that there is a happy ending to the story, but let us not forget that such cases are not uncommon and their treatment should include a better awareness campaign.”
The IDF Spokesperson's Unit said: "The incident is known, will be investigated and treated accordingly. The IDF takes very seriously violation of laws concerning the protection of animals.”