Some people seem to live by a creed inspired by an old poem. Ogden Nash wrote, "The trouble with a kitten is THAT eventually, it becomes a CAT." And what's worse is when the cat has kittens of her own. This beautiful tortoiseshell mama was abandoned to raise her seven babies all on by herself.
Thankfully, just when it seemed that she was all out of hope, a wonderful thing happened. In mid-October, a rescue group in Media, Pennsylvania, called Providence Animal Center lived up to its name and took the little family in.
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Mama was suffering from an upper respiratory infection and was skin and bones, but she was also determined to take care of her babies. Yet she, herself, needed a lot of help.
A rescue shelter is not the ideal place to raise a boisterous family, though, so when experienced foster mom Serena Boleto heard about them, she quickly offered them a home.
With medical care and lots of good food and warm, friendly hugs, mama and babies started to recover and gain weight. Pretty soon, the ones who had needed to be hand-fed by syringe were able to eat on their own and caught up with their healthier siblings.
They often formed a delightfully sweet cuddle puddle to take naps together.
Since Boleto would be caring for them for quite awhile, she decided to give them names. Mama became Macadamia and each of her kitties was named after another variety of nut.
"Walnut is all black, Pistachio is black and white, Brazil is the tuxedo, Pecan is the tortie, Hazelnut is the calico, Cashew is orange with more white, and Peanut is orange and the tiniest," Boleto said.
Boleto has had plenty of experience with litters, but this was the largest one she'd taken in. According to her, most of the mamas—who have been surrendered— get pulled from high-kill shelters, although a few are strays.
When the feline family was finally healthy and old enough, Boleto found homes for everyone, including Mama Macadamia.
Brothers Peanut and Cashew, now renamed Travis and Trevor, inseparable from the beginning, now have a forever home together.
According to Hannah Shaw of Kitten Lady, an orphan and kitten rescue, fostering is paramount to a successful adoption. Not only does it prepare the kittens for their forever homes, but it also gives many more kittens a second chance at life. "Saying goodbye might be hard, but if you found the kitten a great home, you can pat yourself on the back knowing that you saved a life... because it means you've opened your home up to be able to save even more animals," she intimated.
Watch the amazing story in the video and share it with your friends. Could you—would you—consider being a foster home for one or more needy animals this year? Without the help of foster families, many, many animals will be euthanized because the homeless animal population is so large. But you can help! Call your local shelter today!
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