These Kittens Were Rejected From Their Cat Mom But They Found Love While Being Fostered
A tiny family crisis in a Portland shelter turned into a heartbreaking foster story fast. A pregnant 10-month-old cat named Melody arrived stressed, scared, and clearly not ready for motherhood.
Volunteer Sheila stepped in to help, but the kittens came early and the situation quickly spiraled. One kitten was already gone, Melody wanted nothing to do with the rest, and Sheila's daughter ended up becoming their bottle-feeding lifeline.
What happened next was equal parts sad, fragile, and surprisingly sweet. Read on.
Sheila was hoping Melody would settle in after a few days, but labor started just two days later. One kitten arrived in a pet bed, and another was found on the floor still in the sac.
Unfortunately, one of the two little kittens had already passed away by the time they were found, and that is when Sheila's daughter warmed up the other one and tried to bottle-feed it because Melody didn't want to know anything.
Six hours later, two more kittens were born. They removed them from the sac and warmed them. Another two hours later, the last one was born. They realized Melody didn't want anything to do with the babies, so Sheila's daughter became their new momma.
My daughter fed them every two hours while I was at work during the week and throughout the night. I helped after work, but she wanted to save them.
A normal kitten weighs around 90 grams at birth, but they were much smaller. They weighed only 70 grams! On Friday, they lost the male kitten that Sheila's daughter worked so hard to save. They provided fluids and Karo syrup a few times, and he seemed to do better, but eventually, he faded.
The three remaining survivors are staying strong and fighting for their lives.
At one week old, they finally reached 100 grams and were as big as a jalapeño pepper. They soon started to crawl and perk up a bit. Each day is a victory. They are working hard to keep them fed and warm.
Just like any young mom, Melody was very afraid. Sheila believed that her fear overrode her instincts to care for the kittens. Even though Melody is in the room with the kittens, she refuses to go near them or nurse them.
She's getting treats and soft food and has a blanket fort behind the pen that she likes to stay in. She's using her litter box and eating when I am not in the room.
It’s a lot like the man who found 40 begging eyes after two boxes were ditched in his yard.
If she doesn't want to be with her kittens, it's okay. She should have been spayed so she didn't end up in a shelter. I will do everything I can to teach her that we mean no harm.
When the little ones were 13 days old, they started to smell and even began hissing at strange smells.
I think they could hear too because they reacted to noise. They were very active after eating but still slept most of the time.
Have a look at these cute little kitties!
The little ones just love cuddling up to each other on a warm, fuzzy blanket and napping the days away.
Sheila's daughter became their true mommy by caring for and feeding them every couple of hours for three weeks. Thursday was my daughter's birthday. I gifted her with eight hours of sleep,
The kittens will most likely be on formula for six weeks, and their consumption rate will increase over time. Those beautiful eyes opened when they were 20 days old, and Sheila was beyond happy.
Just look at this cutie pie!
For another heartbreaking rescue, see how a stray cat led a stranger to kittens that needed treatment: stray cat guides stranger to vulnerable kittens.
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