Rescue kittens aquarium field trip has become one of October’s most shared feel-good videos after more than a dozen orphaned kittens explored SEA LIFE at Mall of America. The rescue kittens aquarium visit, shared by ABC News on 5 October, shows tiny cats staring up at sharks, stingrays and seahorses through a 300-foot underwater tunnel.
According to the Bitty Kitty Brigade, a Twin Cities foster-based rescue for orphaned neonatal kittens, the outing was the group’s sixth annual visit to the aquarium. The kittens arrived early in the morning before the aquarium opened to the public, giving them a calm, private tour. Some were fascinated by fish swimming past the glass, others explored the tunnel, and a few did what kittens do best — they napped.
More than just a cute video
The trip served a real purpose, the rescue said. Introducing kittens to new sights, sounds and environments helps them socialise and prepares them for life in future homes. Kya Anderson, an event director with the group, said the field trips help young cats adjust to new homes when they are adopted. The group is overseeing about 1,000 kittens this year, according to reporting on the visit.
Names from this year’s class added to the charm: kittens with Minnesota State Fair-themed names like Funnel Cake and Apple Fries, alongside Lottie Dottie, Bendy Wendy and Mouth Trap, romped through the aquarium for nearly two hours, according to Associated Press reporting republished by multiple outlets.
Why viewers cannot get enough
Online, viewers joked that there is always one youngster who makes it all the way to the aquarium and still could not care less — a napper in the middle of a marine adventure. Others asked how to sign up to chaperone, or requested a 24-hour stream of the kittens.
Beyond the jokes, the video raised awareness for neonatal kitten rescue. These are kittens only days or weeks old who need around-the-clock care, including bottle-feeding. A field trip that looks like a Pixar movie is, for them, a first step toward a forever home.
