A cat mama and her kittens were rescued from a shelter in San Bernadino, California before it was too late.
They were taken into foster care and mama Emma refused to leave her kittens' side.
When Emma was pulled from the shelter, she and all of her kittens had a severe upper respiratory infection. They were in poor shape and in need of medical attention.
Despite rescuers' very best efforts, one of the kittens passed away while cuddling against the chest of a transporter on the drive to the vet.
2-year-old mama Emma was very protective of her kittens. After losing one of her own, she stayed by her surviving babies and never left their side.
When she felt safe with her foster family, she warmed up to them and even reached out for head snuggles. "She's a very sweet girl. She watched me very closely when I was tending to her babies," Emma's foster parent said.
Mama Emma was inseparable from her kittens Marianne, Bingley and Willoughby, nursing and caring for them around the clock.
She was grateful to have her foster family to help her and would rub her face on them for scratches and pets.
As the kittens grew bigger, she began to take more breaks to replenish and recharge.
Three weeks later, they saw Emma on the counter away from her kittens for the first time. "I think she was trying to tell me that I need to push the whole weaning thing a little harder with them."
"Emma is such a good Momma and a sweetheart. Marianne is a little spitfire and Bingley and Willoughby are such fun, goofy boys."
Once Emma and her kittens were healthy, they were transferred to Friends for Life Rescue Network in Los Angeles to prepare for the next chapter in life.
"Emma is a great mom. She's very protective but once she feels you are safe, she will lay her head on you purring," Jacqueline DeAmor, co-founder of Friends for Life Rescue Network, told Love Meow. "She's very gentle and needs to feel contact with her fosters so she's usually touching with a paw or her head."
Sweet Emma is so proud of her kittens. The rescue is committed to finding her and her babies great homes where they will be loved and cherished.
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