A cat who needed a haven for her kittens, is delighted to be inside a home and get some much-needed help.
A calico cat was brought into a vet clinic in Brisbane, AU, heavily pregnant. Staff reached out to Best Friends Felines, a rescue group they work with, to get the expectant mom into foster care.
"She is such an unusual and stunning looking cat—I have been fostering cats for over 15 years now, and I've never seen a calico with blue eyes like her. It's so striking," a foster volunteer of Best Friends Felines shared.
With a comfortable home environment and plenty of food, the cat, named Amity, was finally able to relax and catch up on some rest. "I made sure to spend as much time with her each day as I could. She loved her tummy being massaged."
Amity went into labor on a Monday afternoon. She insisted on having her carer by her side to assist her with her newborns. "She made me earn my midwife stripes," the foster mom wrote.
After having five kittens, they thought Amity had finished and stepped away for a bit. "When I returned one hour later, baby number six had been born much to my shock. Again she wasn't interested in cleaning him up, so I did."
Thinking that was it, the foster mom walked away for a brief moment and came back to yet another surprise. "I did a double take (and a recount) when I realized there were seven babies. I cleaned her up and she instantly latched on and started feeding."
Over the next couple of days, Amity gave her little tribe her undivided attention, caring and feeding them around the clock. Then her appetite suddenly dropped, and it became clear that she had some stomach issues that needed to be resolved.
Georgia, a neonate carer and veterinarian, offered to help. She worked alongside her sister to bottle-feed the kittens around the clock, while mama Amity received the medical care she desperately needed.
After several vet visits over three days, Amity was back with her precious seven. "The intensive care (she received) did the trick."
"Now that Amity has stabilized on food that is gentle on her belly, she has hit her groove. Because she is eating so well, it's really making a difference with the babies who are getting very big and gaining great weight."
At four weeks old, the kittens officially found their feet. They began exploring their surroundings but only to be called back to the nest by their protective mom.
"Amity tried to run after them, chirping away, trying to herd them back to their nest, which was tricky to do with seven, because they were all wandering off in different directions.
"Along with learning to walk, they are also learning to climb, and will scale up my legs into my lap when I'm sitting on the floor."
The kittens are now showing interest in eating solid food. While mama Amity demonstrates, they watch attentively and try to imitate her.
"With this change in the food situation, she is feeding the babies less than she has been, and spending more (me-time) up high away from them."
It takes a village to save this family of eight. Now, Amity is looking much healthier, and getting more confident and content in her demeanor. Her body is finally filling out and her energy level is soaring.
"She meows at me when her plate is empty—it's wonderful to see."
While the crew of seven are running around, wrestling with each other, Amity is enjoying some quiet time on her own.
In a few weeks, she will be ready to retire from mommy duty once and for all, and find a place of her own, where she will be loved and spoiled as the center of attention.
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