Emma Kate Fittes

efittes@muncie.gannett.com

GASTON — A Gaston woman found two very young and unusual kittens in her barn Saturday. They weighed just a couple ounces each and didn't appear to be opening their eyes, but it was their black spots and hairless feet that made them look exotic.

Alicia Jones brought the kittens to the Animal Rescue Fund in Muncie. Angela Sexton, ARF's cat expert, knew right away they weren't regular kittens, and a local veterinarian agreed.

Sexton said they looked more like a leopard than a tabby.

"We definitely knew we were looking at a different type breed the second we saw them." she said. So, Sexton turned them over to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center in Center Point, Indiana, later Saturday.

One of the kittens since died, but the other is being bottle fed every few hours and staying in an incubator. They were born prematurely said Joe Taft, director of the Exotic Feline Rescue.

Taft said they are still unsure what the kittens are, but they've ruled out a few options, including tiger. The kittens are way too small to be baby tigers, Taft said.

Taft also ruled out a bobcat, because the kittens have long tails.

It's more likely that they are a Bengal or Savannah cat, which is a mix between a domesticated cat and a wild cat. Specifically, Asian leopard cat or African cat, respectively. They could also be a mix of a domesticated cat with a Bengal or Savannah, making them only one quarter wild.

Taft said it's legal in Indiana to own a Bengal or Savannah cat as a pet, but it would be unusual for an owner to let it have kittens in a random barn.

"They’re not unheard of," he said. "They are fairly expensive animals. Considering the amount of money involved, I’d say most people are fairly careful about them getting loose."

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Taft said if it is a Bengal or Savannah, the parent cat likely doesn't pose a threat to humans, or even family pets in the area. The rescue currently has one Asian leopard cat, and at 15 years old, it's only six pounds, Taft said.

Jones was glad to know that there isn't a tiger roaming around her yard, but said it's still "really crazy" that there could be an exotic cat in the area.

"It’s a little unsettling because I have a smaller dog," she said. "It’s part of living in the country. But at the same time, if I saw a bobcat in my yard, I’m not going outside."

Contact families & education reporter Emma Kate Fittes at 765-213-5845 and follow @EmmaKate_TSP

Looking for more kittens

Angela Sexton said there could be more kittens from the same litter in the Gaston area. If anyone finds more, she said the Animal Rescue Fund will take them and get them to the Exotic Feline Rescue Center

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