Four kittens who had lived under cars for weeks, found a family to help them trust. Now, they get to spend their first holidays indoors.
Kona, Samosa, Pierogi, Ravioli and WontonAsa
Four kittens and their cat mom were discovered living on a busy street in West Virginia, taking refuge under cars.
The whole family was wary of people, constantly eluding animal rescuers. By the time the kittens were seven weeks old, rescuers from Tails High finally managed to bring them all to safety.
The kittens, all weaned, were very skittish and needed socialization in a home environment.
WontonAsa
Asa who volunteers for Tails High, provided a quiet, comfortable space in her home to help the kittens decompress. She washed off the grime from their coats and fed them abundantly.
The cat mother has since been spayed and vetted, and happily retired from motherhood.
They were found living under cars on a busy streetAsa
"Pierogi was the only one that was friendly from the get-go; he came up to me right away as the other three hid away from me," Asa shared with Love Meow.
On the third day, Ravioli, the fluffiest of the bunch, warmed up to Asa and started to squeak and purr with confidence. Soon, he joined his brother, Pierogi, as they clambered onto their foster mom's lap, vying for her affection.
Pierogi, Wonton and SamosaAsa
Samosa and Wonton, the shyest two littermates, needed extra time and reassurance to learn to trust.
"They started to let me pet them 5-6 days in, but even then, they'd forget who I was every time they saw me, so I'd need to sit with them for at least 10 minutes until I could pet them again."
SamosaAsa
Asa's patience paid off when the two timid kittens lowered their guard to approach her. They were eventually won over with a shower of gentle scritches.
"They started meowing at me for attention, and came up to me for pets while purring up a storm."
Ravioli tried to interrupt every time his brothers got attention from their foster momAsa
While Asa was building trust with the shyest kittens, Ravioli kept bounding up to her for pets. "He just wants all the attention."
After two weeks of adjustment, the kittens were fully integrated into indoor life, and were ready to meet the rest of the house.
Wonton (top), Ravioli, Pierogi and SamosaAsa
They were a bit standoffish at first in the presence of the resident pets and "greeted" them with hisses. After a few days of probing and sniffing, the hissing subsided and their demeanor softened.
Samosa took a liking to his nurturing canine friend and pressed his face against hers.
Samosa and KonaAsa
"They started to realize that the other animals are friends. They all love Kona (who loves to mother kittens) and will approach her for attention just like they do with me," Asa told Love Meow.
Ravioli snuggled up to his canine buddiesAsa
"Pierogi is the most adventurous and social - nothing fazes him and will always be the first to approach the unknown.
"Once Ravioli opens up, he'll be meowing at you with his raspy voice endlessly until you pet him."
Samosa (top) and PierogiAsa
"Samosa is the most bashful by far. Now that he trusts me, he'll follow me around, rubbing against my leg as I walk around the house.
"Wonton might hide at first but as soon as he realizes he's safe, he relaxes instantaneously."
Ravioli and Wonton started a feline escapadeAsa
Just a month ago, the feline brothers lived under cars, braving a busy street. Now, they enjoy cavorting around the house and snuggling with their canine friends without a care in the world.
Wonton, Ravioli, Samosa and Pierogi (bottom)Asa
Share this story with your friends. More on the kittens and Asa's fosters on Instagram @shibuyarollcall and Tails High @tailshigh.
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