IDAHO FALLS, Idaho — A surprising discovery unfolded at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) Site when a crew member from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Environmental Management found seven kittens inside a well drilling truck. The truck had been brought to the site for the Idaho CERCLA Disposal Facility (ICDF) expansion project just two days prior.
The incident began when an employee from subcontractor Western Construction heard meowing while inspecting the jobsite and reported it to his supervisor, Rick Johns. The kittens, estimated to be only seven to ten days old, were discovered without their mother, their eyes still partially closed.
After notifying Eric King, an ICDF construction manager with the Idaho Environmental Coalition (IEC), the crew received guidance from the Environmental Management Program regarding the kittens’ welfare. They had the option to take the kittens to a local shelter or care for them temporarily. In the meantime, Western Construction employees provided the kittens with milk, as they had gone unfed for at least two days.
Johns, along with his family, stepped in to foster the kittens, feeding them every four hours, even during the night. The dedication paid off; within 40 days, all the kittens had found loving homes.
“Seeing those helpless little guys, I couldn’t help but feel compassion,” King remarked. One of the kittens, named Chupi—short for Chupacabra—has since been adopted by King’s family, where he enjoys the company of their two dogs, Max and Millie.
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