A resident noticed a cat change from plump to skinny overnight and realized that there were kittens near their home.
Tuba the cat@coastalbendcats
A friendly stray cat showed up in a neighborhood by herself. She was seen wandering the streets, scrounging around for food. No one in the area came to claim her.
A resident who had come to know the friendly stray, was shocked one day to discover a noticeable change in the cat. "She went from pleasingly plump to surprisingly skinny overnight," Mary Huckabee, Coastal Bend Cat Rescue (CBCR) Officer, shared with Love Meow.
They realized that the cat must have been pregnant and had babies, so started probing for the whereabouts of the kittens.
A resident came across a stray cat and found her kittens under their front porch@coastalbendcats
The mother cat had been around their home prior to giving birth, so the resident went around the premises, seeking any sign of a kitten.
"They searched for where they could be and finally found them under their front porch in an adorable cuddle puddle after a couple of days."
@coastalbendcats
The location under the porch wasn't suitable for raising kittens. Coupling that with the heat of summer, it would be unbearable for the newborns.
The finder reached out to their local rescue, CBCR, so the feline family could get the help they needed to thrive. While waiting for a foster home to be arranged, they kept the cat mama well fed and helped care for her babies.
They were rescued and brought into a foster home@coastalbendcats
As soon as a foster family became available, the finder crawled under the porch and pulled the litter out to safety.
The stray mama watched the rescue effort unfold and was content to be transported along with her kittens, as if she had been waiting for this moment.
@coastalbendcats
"Mama was so happy to be taken inside into a foster home," Mary told Love Meow.
The cat named Tuba quickly settled into her new space and felt right at home. She was pleased with the arrangements and over the moon about all the food she could devour.
Tuba has four kittens, three cream and one orange@coastalbendcats
"She walks expectantly to the bowl every time her foster mom walks in the room and demands a refill."
Tuba is a talker and doesn't hesitate to voice her "opinions". Food can never be served fast enough for the sweet chatty girl. She has four kittens, three cream and one orange, two boys and two girls.
@coastalbendcats
Like their mother, the kittens were named after musical instruments in the brass family - Trombone, Trumpet, French Horn and Bugle.
Now at three weeks old, they are starting to explore around their pen. They are honing their gait under the watch of their doting mother who makes sure that they don't wander off too far.
@coastalbendcats
With newfound strength, the kittens are getting more active and curious, wrestling with each other, tottering up to their foster mom or squeaking for attention. "They are super chill and content to be held and cuddled."
Tuba showers her demanding four with unconditional love but is always happy to get some help from her foster mom.
@coastalbendcats
As much as Tuba adores her kittens, she fawns over people and will come running to them for attention and head scritches.
With the help of a kind neighbor, Tuba and her four were rescued just in time. They are thriving in the comfort of a foster home and enjoying the luxuries of indoor life.
@coastalbendcats
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Related story: Kitten was So Small When He was Found, Now He Fetches 'Gifts' for His Humans Each Day