posted August 13, 2005 10:04 PM         

Canadian Press
Aug. 9, 2005 01:08 PM

ST-QUENTIN, N.B. - A kitten owes its life to the impromtu medical skills of a couple of kids who delivered it by caesarean section after the animal's mother died.

Monica Castonguay, 15, and Kim Quimpere, 13, were walking in the woods recently when they found a cat lying on the ground and not breathing.

The youngsters were familiar with the cat and knew it was pregnant. Although the cat had died, the teens found it was still warm and decided to save the kittens.

Although the teens hadn't taken a biology course and weren't sure they knew what they were doing, they got a sweater, a knife and some cotton and then performed a caesarian section on the mother cat.

They were able to save two of the four kittens, which they wrapped in the sweater and took home, trying in vain to reach a veterinarian. One of the kittens later died but the stronger of the two was adopted by Castonguay.

Castonguay has not been inspired to take up medicine as a result of the adventure.