Kitten in crisis saved by Kootenay kayaker

Finding Nemo. And Saving Nemo. And Keeping Nemo. A Victoria woman is counting her blessings this Thanksgiving after a day of kayaking ended with her saving a life, and gaining a new family member.

A Victoria woman is counting her blessings this Thanksgiving after a day of kayaking in the B.C. Interior ended with her saving a life, and adding a new member to her family.

Jodi Miranda and a group of friends were heading for shore after a day of kayaking on the Columbia River in the Kootenays last Friday when she heard a peculiar sound.

“We started to align ourselves to leave the river and I heard this little, ‘Meow, meow,’ and I am looking around and asked my friends, ‘Did anybody else hear a cat?’” Miranda said.

Three times, the group circled the surrounding area.

“I look at this fallen tree branch and, at first, I thought it was a little bit of leaves wedged into the tree, and I heard this meow and (saw) a little tiny mouth move,” Miranda said.

“Only its head was above water. Its whole body was under water (and) it was kind of hung up on some twigs under its chin.”

Miranda scooped up the forlorn feline, kayaked back to shore and wrapped the sopping, shivering kitten in a towel.

“At that time, we didn’t know if it was a boy or girl. We just knew it was just this soaking wet little darling,” she said.

A visit to the vet confirmed it was not only a boy, but was only between four and five weeks old and, miraculously, was healthy.

Miranda has adopted the kitten – a decision she says was made early on.

“Pretty much as I paddled to shore,” she said with a laugh.

She named him Nemo.

“Just like the movie, Finding Nemo, he just kept swimming until we found him,” she said.

Miranda's family, including her 90-pound dog Winston, are adapting quite nicely to their teeny addition.

The family doesn't know how Nemo ended up in such a perilous position, but Miranda believes fate brought them together.

“I am a firm believer, everything happens for a reason,” she said.

“If we had not heard that little cry, who knows? I don’t think that little kitty would have (stood) a chance.”

Instead, Nemo is spending his first Thanksgiving with his forever family.

Miranda says Nemo is growing stronger every day.

In the just the past week, he’s gained about 227 grams, or half a pound.