Most female cats possess strong maternal instincts, but not all of them would readily adopt an orphaned kitten as their own. 

Still, despite everything she’s been through, this abandoned mother cat didn’t hesitate to embrace a stray kitten into her family. So, let’s dive into this heartwarming tale.

Rescuing The Furry Family

One day, Jaina, a dedicated rescuer from Cats of San Bernardino, California, received a call about a stray mother cat who had recently given birth. 

After finding this furry family, the mother cat quickly became overprotective, hissing, and growling, trying to warn them. Jaina said: 

“I was pretty scared that she was going to attack me.”

Rescuing this cat and her kittens wasn’t an easy mission. But, despite her fear, Jaina was determined to help this feline family and get them to safety. She said:

“We weren’t sure if she was feral or friendly. We just knew that she was really defensive of her 3 kittens that she had there.”

After a few attempts, Jaina finally managed to safely place the cat in a cat carrier, using a protective glove. Once the cat was secured, she collected the kittens and brought them all to the rescue center.

The remarkable transformation in the mother cat’s behavior took everyone by surprise. Jaina recalled:

“Once we got them here, and we reunited her with the babies, she was the most grateful cat. She was so friendly and so loving. We were thinking she was feral, but she ended up being really, really sweet.” 

It was as though the cat had realized that these humans were there to help her and her babies and give them the life they deserved. 

Welcoming The New Kitten To The Furry Family

While the cat savored being a mother with a roof over her head and warm meals, the rescue team received another urgent call from a woman who sounded distressed. She reported:

“I let my dogs out this morning, and I heard cats screaming.”

The rescue team immediately went to the address she gave them. Fortunately, the woman who called had managed to get her dogs inside in time. 

Upon searching the area, the team discovered a tiny kitten who had miraculously survived. Sadly, his mother was nowhere to be seen.

Without hesitation, they brought the kitten to the rescue center, but they soon faced another challenge.

Very young nursing kittens can be bottle-fed, but most lone kittens struggle to survive. Fortunately, the team came up with an ingenious idea, although they weren’t entirely sure if it would work. Jaina explained:

“So, we were like, ‘Well, we’ve got a nursing mom, you know, he seems healthy, let’s just see if she’ll take him.’”

The mother cat didn’t hesitate for a moment. She immediately welcomed the orphaned kitten into her furry family, as if she were repaying the kindness she had received. Jaina joyfully recounted:

“She started bathing him, and it was really, really beautiful.”

They named the mother cat Michelin and over time, everyone started to improve. Her kittens started walking, playing with each other, and exploring their surroundings.

Mowgli, the adopted kitten, was considerably younger than his step-siblings, but that didn’t deter him from trying to keep up. Jaina fondly remembered:

“The other babies were only about three weeks old, and they took him in too. He joined their family, and it was just so cute, and obviously, she helped him survive.”

Mowgli adored his siblings and didn’t hide it. As he grew older, he became more interactive with them. Jaina added:

“He was super playful and our fosters fell in love with him as well.”

Happily Ever After

Finally, even though the story didn’t begin well, I’m happy to say that it has a happy ending. 

All the kittens, including Mama Michelin, got adopted. They all went to separate homes but to awesome and loving families. 

Initially, the rescue team was worried about the mother cat because most adult cats cannot find their forever home so easily. However, she found her family almost as quickly as her kittens did.

Thanks to this passionate and determined rescue team from California, each of these kitties got their own happily ever after, which they so rightfully deserve. 

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