Injured kitten found wrapped in a blanket and abandoned on a Napier beach

Beach Boy "BB" is recovering in the warmth of the SPCA after being found injured and abandoned along Napier’s Marine Parade. Photo / Warren Buckland

On a cold overcast morning, as a chilly breeze was coming off the ocean along Napier’s Marine Parade, a member of the public out on their morning walk came across a little ball of fluff wrapped in a blanket.

Inside they found a black-and-white cat with serious injuries. They rushed the cat to the Napier SPCA Centre where feline team lead Rachel Hopper was waiting and ready to help the cat now known as Beach Boy.

Beach Boy was found about 10am on Marine Parade just past the 80km zone. The SPCA team suspects he had been there for a few hours, if not overnight.

When he was brought into the centre he was stiff and couldn’t move around much, and was taken straight to the vet for assessment.

Beach Boy "BB" enjoying some love from Napier SPCA animal attendant Hannah. Photo / Warren Buckland

Hopper said she knew “immediately he was a special boy, with a gentle and affectionate nature, showing a lot of resilience and bravery”.

After Beach Boy returned from his first vet visit and warmed up, he stood up and started moving around a little, purring, head-butting the staff lovingly and “making his biscuits” or kneading with his paws.

While emotionally, the roughly 7-month-old kitten was doing well, but it was clear his past had been full of trauma. At the vet they found evidence Beach Boy had been living with an old injury in his hip, pelvis or spine.

“But this hadn’t slowed him down or broken his spirit. Beach Boy has now had the much-needed surgery to treat his injuries, undertaken by Vet Services, Napier, and he now has a second chance at the life he deserves,” Hopper said.

It’s estimated that all together Beach Boys’ vet bills have cost about $2000. Hopper said this was why her team was grateful for every donation they received.

Young black-and-white kitten now known as Beach Boy "BB", was dropped off at the SPCA cold and stiff after spending hours on the wind-bitten Napier Marine Parade.

She added, “it goes to life-changing surgery for animals like Beach Boy.”

SPCA staff and volunteers quickly fell in love with the cat, and they started to refer to him as Beach Boy. He is friendly and affectionate and loves biscuits and playing.

Once recovered he will be on the lookout for his forever home. All going well, he should be available for adoption in about four weeks.

“We can’t guarantee there will be no future issues with Beachy’s health, however, our vets are extremely confident he will make a full recovery,” Hopper said.

Maddisyn Jeffares became the editor of the Hawke’s Bay community papers Hastings Leader and Napier Courier in 2023 after writing the Hastings Leader for almost a year. She has been a reporter with NZME for almost three years now and has a strong focus on what’s going on in communities, good and bad, big and small. Email news tips to her at: maddisyn.jeffarea@nzme.co.nz.