Rancho Santa Fe, California - An employee of a shopping center was horrified to discover several newborn kittens zip-tied together in front of the mall.

Jessica Gercke, a representative for the Helen Woodward Animal Center, told People that the cats were found under a shopping cart in the parking lot.

Two of the four siblings were found lifeless, but the other two were immediately taken to the shelter, where they were named Frodo and Sam.

Gercke said that the kittens "still had their umbilical cords attached and were covered in fleas" when they were handed over to the animal organization, adding that the babies had been abandoned just a few days after their birth.

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One of the two kittens suffered serious injuries to its left hind leg from the cable ties, while the other was fortunately unharmed.

After animal welfare workers took in Frodo and Sam in such an appalling state, they feared that the kittens would not survive the coming days.

"We were worried they hadn't eaten in hours and wouldn't eat," says adoption manager Kendall Schulz.

But after the kittens immediately accepted the bottle, their fears faded.

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Frodo and Sam are now living with a foster family who can look after the siblings around the clock.

"Finding fosters qualified to bottle feed is super important, because these little guys need to be fed every two hours," Schulz said.

"Fortunately, we have an extensive network of qualified fosters who can drop everything and help out!"