A littler of abandoned kittens were found huddling together with their cat "mom", but when the rescuers came they were surprised to discover that their "mama" is not mom at all.
Homeless Animal Adoption League (HAAL), a rescue in Bloomfield, New Jersey, received a call about kittens abandoned in a laundry basket on a curb.
The caller was walking home when he discovered the kittens. The weather was getting colder by the minute and it had started to rain. "He said (the kittens) seemed to be placed there by someone," the rescue group said.
They quickly sent out rescuers. "With GPS in hand we found the street. Once we parked we started walking and in seconds, we saw a recycling container on the curb."
They found an adult cat cuddling with the kittens, trying to keep them warm, and thought it must be their mom. The cat calmly looked up to the rescuers as if to say "Thank you for finding us."
"We covered the container with a blanket and off to HAAL we went. To our surprise there were not four but six kittens," the rescue group said.
The furry family looked healthy with no infections or cold. The fur babies were all eating on their own. It was apparent that the kittens had been well taken care of before the rescuers came.
When they took a close look at the sweet feline family, they got quite a surprise.
"You see mom was not a mom at all. She was a he. That sweet cat taking care of those little babies was a male."
"He could have been the dad or a big brother from another litter, but to those little kittens he was their protector and surrogate mom. He groomed them and gently played with each one."
They named him Mrs. Doubtfire.
"That little cat has taught us that you do what you have to do to protect the most vulnerable."
Updates:
"Mrs. Doubtfire has a diaphragmatic hernia. In other words his diaphragm was torn and his stomach and intestines have moved into his chest cavity. Mrs. Doubtfire has been with us for few months and we can only imagine what had happened to this sweet little boy," Homeless Animal Adoption League said.
The rescue group will do whatever is best for Mrs. Doubtfire to ensure a happy life.
"Right now Mrs. Doubtfire is happy and comfortable and isn't showing any major physical problems. The doctor said that cats can live a long time with the condition."
Mrs. Doubtfire already has a wonderful foster home waiting to take him.
His kittens are still looking for their forever loving homes. If you are interested in adopting, click here for more info (Bloomfield, NJ).
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Related story: Male Cat With Special Needs Nurtures Litter of Orphaned Kittens