Two newborn kittens became so round from all their milk that they roll right out of bed. Their Mama isn't worried because she's trained her carers well.
Cassava, Sago, and TapiocaCredit: Best Friends Felines
Cassava and her babies came into the care of Best Friends Felines, a volunteer-run cat rescue in south-east Queensland, Australia, after one of the rescue's veterinary-nurse carers reached out for help. A colleague at her clinic had taken in a mama cat and her litter, and the rescue moved quickly, placing the family with Jen, one of its carers who specializes in mothers and their newborn kittens.
The family had already known sorrow. When the carers collected them, they learned that one of the tiny babies had not made it, lost to a severe cleft palate. The brave mama and her two remaining kittens were bundled gently into a carrier and driven to the warm foster room waiting for them.
From the moment they arrived, the little family began to flourish. Cassava is a stunning fluffy calico with a heart full of devotion, and she settled in fast, doting on her two precious little beans with endless patience.
Never far from her side Credit: Best Friends Felines
One of her babies is a tiny mirror image of her, a sweet tortoiseshell, and the other is an adorable ginger-and-white kitten who completes the little trio.
Because the two were still too small to tell whether the ginger-and-white one was a boy or a girl, the carers chose a food theme and matching unisex names. The family became Cassava, Tapioca, and Sago.
Tapioca and Sago Credit: Best Friends Felines
With only two babies now sharing the milk bar, Tapioca and Sago have been growing deliciously chunky. By just two weeks old, both were already tipping the scales at close to three hundred and fifty grams.
Sago at three and a half weeks Credit: Best Friends Felines
All that healthy eating has left them wonderfully roly-poly, so round that, once or twice, a well-fed little one has rolled straight out of bed. "Of course, mumma closes her eyes and pretends it hasn't happened and awaits her well-trained people to pick them up and put them back into bed," Jen, the family's foster carer, shared with LoveMeow.
Belly full and dreaming Credit: Best Friends Felines
As the babies have grown more independent, Cassava has begun taking a few well-earned moments to herself. Every so often she pads out of the nursery to find Jen, weaving around her for a top-up of food or a chin scratch, and sometimes just for a quiet minute away from her busy babies. She has especially loved soaking up pats while Jen works from home, and she has taken every new visitor completely in her stride.
The weeks since have brought delightful changes. "It is hard to believe that the babies are already 3.5 weeks old, but then you watch their cheeky little faces as they stand up and toddle around," Jen shared. The pair are still gaining beautifully, inching close to five hundred grams and getting rounder by the day.
Tapioca, growing fast Credit: Best Friends Felines
Cassava is comfortable spending longer stretches away now, happily napping or topping up on food to keep pace with her busy babies.
Tapioca and Sago, meanwhile, are becoming little explorers, sitting up to survey the room, hopping in and out of their bed, and starting to play with each other.
Cassava, the wonderful MomCredit: Best Friends Felines
Ever the protective mother, Cassava is still a little wary of the other cats she can glimpse through the special gates on her door, so introductions will wait until she is ready. "We know that mums are very protective of their babies, so it will be a while before proper introductions," Jen shared.
A quiet moment togetherCredit: Best Friends Felines
Not long ago, Cassava arrived at her foster room with two tiny babies and an uncertain road ahead. Now she is a picture of calm, doting on two round, happy kittens and trusting her people to handle the occasional roll out of bed.
Share this story with your friends. View more on Cassava, Tapioca, and Sago, who are in the care of Best Friends Felines. Follow their progress on Instagram @bestfriendsfelines and on Facebook.
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