A cat was so glad to be taken inside a comfy home so her kittens could have a chance to thrive.
An orange tabby cat was found by a family and brought in to a vet clinic. She came with a bite wound on her right hip and had likely been in a fight with another animal.
The cat received wound care and an ultrasound which confirmed that she was pregnant. After completing her stray hold at the county shelter, she was transferred to Cat Adoption Team (in Oregon).
“She did not have a microchip, and no one came looking for her. That’s how she ended up with us,” Renee who works and fosters for Cat Adoption Team, told Love Meow.
The expectant mother needed a safe haven to raise her kittens, so Renee offered to take her in to foster. The tabby named Duchess was a bit shy and nervous at first after having fended for herself outside for some time.
Slowly but surely, Duchess warmed up to her people, started to relax and even rolled over for belly rubs. “She was getting more comfortable, and sometimes she played a bit rough.”
After scoping out her new kitty suite, Duchess gave her stamp of approval and decided to tag along with her foster mom for pets and snuggles.
She became more confident around humans and even tried to play. But the tabby girl didn’t seem to understand that fingers aren’t toys, so Renee began showing her that hands are for gentle things such as pets and chin scratches.
“After 10 days in foster, she delivered five perfect, healthy babies. She was hands-down the quietest mama I’ve ever had deliver,” Renee shared with Love Meow.
Duchess dove right into mommy duties and zeroed in on making sure that the kittens were fed, clean and loved. “This was obviously not her first litter as she handled it all like a seasoned pro.”
“She is a loving mother and she takes perfect care of her babies. She is protective but not in an aggressive manner,” Renee shared.
“When I move the kittens from her nest to weight them, she is right there to make sure I put them back. She is starting to trust me more every day and lets me handle the babies more and more.”
After a few days of undivided attention, Duchess came over to sit with Renee for the first time since birth, and she kneaded away on a blanket beside her.
She started nursing her kittens next to her foster mom, and was content to get some support and head scritches in the meantime.
No one knows what life was like for Duchess before she was found. But now, she relishes every moment in her comfortable abode and no longer has any worry in her eyes.
She stretches her happy toes constantly as she enjoys the company of her people.
The kittens are starting to open their eyes, and once they are weaned in about 6-8 weeks, Duchess will be spayed and never have to go through another pregnancy again.
The feline family will stay in Renee’s care until the kittens are big enough to be spayed/neutered and put up for adoption.
Duchess came into her foster home hoping for a better chance for her kittens. Now, they are all thriving and well on their way to a bright future.
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