A stray cat wouldn't leave her only kitten after they were found hiding between two sheets of plywood.
Last week, Catsnip Etc, a TNR (trap-neuter-return) rescue in Elkhart County, Indiana, received a call from Lowe's about a cat living between two sheets of plywood in their receiving area.
Employees could hear the cries of a tiny kitten but couldn't get a closer look. "If anyone got within four feet of momma's plywood 'house', she would come charging out, growling and ready to attack," Catsnip Etc shared with Love Meow.
Rescuers set up a humane trap with a food trail leading to it, but the cat mom would only eat the small pieces of food outside the trap and refused to move farther from her kitten.
"She wouldn't go in. She was too worried about leaving her baby."
Every time her kitten made a sound, the cat would rush back to tend to her baby, making sure he was safe. Knowing how protective and devoted the mama was, they decided to play the sound of a crying kitten on their phone to aid in the rescue mission.
"We put the phone at the end of the trap and 20 seconds later, she went running in." Rescuers were able to retrieve the single kitten but couldn't find any more babies in the area.
Soon after the mother and kitten arrived in foster care, their foster family was surprised by the change in the cat's demeanor.
"We found out that momma is super sweet, loves to be petted, and has the loudest purr. She was just terrified and protecting her baby. We are so happy that everything worked out and these two are safe."
The sweet mama has really relaxed and enjoys her bountiful supply of food. Her kitten has put on nearly four ounces in just a few days since they were rescued.
"Momma loves her baby so much. If he makes a peep when she is up eating, she goes running straight to him," Missy McNeal of Catsnip Etc told Love Meow.
"The first night we had them, the kitten needed a little bath because he was so dirty and greasy. Momma never left his side the whole time. She stood right up on the sink, making sure he was doing ok."
After getting all cleaned up, the sweet cat mom snuggled with her kitten in their comfy new nest, purring up a storm.
"We were positive when we first arrived at Lowe's this momma was feral. We had never had a mom lunging at us or running at us to scare us away like that before," Missy added.
"But as soon as we trapped her, you could tell she wasn't scared of people, just scared of what we were going to do with her baby."
"Once she realized the baby was staying with her, she calmed right down, started purring, and wanted to be petted.
"It must have been very stressful for her to be in that loud stockroom all day with so many people coming and going and the loud forklifts driving all over."
Watch the sweet cat mom and her kitten in this cute video:
The former stray is so happy to have a quiet and safe place to raise her kitten and kind people to look after them.
The little baby is thriving and growing by leaps and bounds.
No more worries about food and shelter as the mother and son continue to enjoy their VIP life as indoor cats.
Share this story with your friends. Follow their updates and Catsnip Etc on Facebook and Instagram.
Related story: Cat Befriends Stray Kitten from Yard and Brings Him into His Home