A woman rescued a stray from the streets and discovered that the cat didn't come alone.
Stef, an animal rescuer from Montreal, Canada spotted a new kitty in the neighborhood when she was out caring for community cats.
The tabby was drawn to the food but too timid to come close. She watched the other cats devour it before her eyes but was reluctant to join the feast until everyone was gone.
The scrawny, shy cat returned every day, hoping for some food scraps. Knowing that the cat needed help, Stef set up a humane trap with some treats inside, and hours later, she got the hungry kitty to safety.
The tabby was overwhelmed by the change in environment and froze in fear. She took refuge in a cupboard and refused to come out for nearly two days. Stef allowed her time to decompress while keeping food available within reach.
When her stress began to subside, she cautiously came out from hiding and went straight to the food bowl. The hungry tabby wolfed down a large amount of cat food in just one sitting.
Little by little, the sweet kitty named Vivia began to trust and grew to enjoy the feeling of touch. When Stef got to pet her for the first time, the kitty let out the loudest purrs reverberating through the room.
The initial plan was to get her vetted and spayed and find her a good home, but the tabby threw everyone for a loop when the vet discovered that she was pregnant. Stef contacted her local rescue, Chatons Orphelins Montréal, to ensure the best care for the expectant mom and her babies.
"We took her in and found her a foster family that would take care of her and her kittens," Celine Crom of Chatons Orphelins Montréal shared with Love Meow.
Meliisa, a volunteer of the rescue, set her up in a quiet room with a comfortable nest and plenty of soft things to knead on. Vivia purred up a storm as she explored her new comfy suite.
On July 13, Mama Vivia gave birth to five beautiful, healthy kittens inside of a safe home, away from the elements of the outdoors.
The kittens are voracious eaters, keeping their mom very busy. They are putting on weight and gaining strength every day, showing off their newly acquired roly-poly, chonky bod.
Vivia has really come out of her shell and connected with her foster family. "She purrs a lot with her babies and whenever her foster mom is around," Celine said. "We are so happy that she was rescued just in time so her kittens would not have to live a day on the streets."
Watch Vivia's journey and her little family in this cute video:
The only boy, Palermo, is quite the character. He is the sole ginger in the family, always doing something different from his siblings (all tabbies).
He likes to sleep in when everyone else is eating. He's the dreamer of the litter, twitching his micro whiskers and moving his tiny paws and tail when he naps.
The beautiful family is thriving in foster care, and soon the kittens will open their eyes to see for the first time.
Sweet mama Vivia is loving her life as an indoor cat, along with her five little nuggets nestling comfortably by her side.
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