Birthdays are often seen as special milestones filled with joy, laughter, and heartfelt wishes from friends and loved ones. However, what happens when the day arrives, and no one acknowledges it? The feeling of being forgotten can weigh heavily on your heart, leaving you feeling isolated and sad.
In our increasingly digital world, where social media serves as a platform for celebration, it can be particularly disheartening when notifications remain silent. Birthdays hold a unique significance; they are not just markers of age but also opportunities for connection and affirmation. When you wake up to an empty inbox or a lack of messages from those you care about, it can evoke feelings of inadequacy and loneliness. It’s essential to remember that while external validation is nice, your worth is not determined by the attention you receive. Sometimes, life gets busy, and people forget. Consider reaching out to friends or planning a small celebration for yourself. Your birthday is a day to honor you, regardless of whether others remember it. Embrace self-love, and find joy in the little things. After all, you deserve to celebrate the incredible person you are!
When reunited with her kittens, a cat shows them the utmost affection and care.
A pregnant stray cat was rescued from the streets in the nick of time, and brought to Oregon Friends of Shelter Animal. She was in rough shape and diagnosed with feline calicivirus.
Her condition quickly deteriorated and she was admitted to the emergency vet for a few days. Shortly after she arrived, she gave birth to a litter of kittens.
“Even though she was very sick herself, she was so caring to her kittens,” Angela Su, a foster volunteer of the shelter, told Love Meow.
The cat mom named Mocha was incredibly attentive and gave the babies her undivided attention from the start.
“When I brought Mocha and her 4-day-old kittens home to foster, she had mostly recovered but unfortunately, her kittens also had the same illness—calicivirus causes upper respiratory issues (sneezing, congestion, and discharge) and sometimes tongue ulcers.”
The odds were stacked up against the kittens as they were vulnerable at their age. Angela along with two other foster volunteers, Christy and Mads, worked as a team to provide critical care, trying everything they could to save the litter.
“The kittens were given supportive care around the clock—nebulizer treatment, tube-feeding, supplemental feedings, eyedrops, and so on,” Angela shared with Love Meow.
Despite their very best efforts to save them all, two of the four kittens sadly didn’t make it, but the remaining two, Peppermint and Cocoa, bounced back as they put up an incredible fight.
Once they were healthy enough, they were brought back to be with their mom. “These two miraculously pulled through against all odds. They are both such strong little fighters.”
Mocha was so thrilled to have her kittens back by her side. She washed their faces and toe beans, and spent her day and night nursing and caring for them as if to make up for lost time.
She showers them with love and makes sure they are fed and clean.
“Mocha is very loving and affectionate with Cocoa and Peppermint. She is always close-by and watching whenever I’m weighing or supplemental feeding her kittens,” Angela told Love Meow.
She often wraps her arms around her babies when they nap or gives them the sweetest bear hug for an extra dose of affection. “Mocha immediately checks in on her kittens whenever they cry out for her. She is seriously such a special mama cat.”
Peppermint and Cocoa are three weeks old now and are starting to find their feet and waddle.
“Their favorite things to do is rolling around on their backs or batting their paws at each other,” Angela shared with Love Meow.
“They have improved so much over the past few weeks. It was a rough start for this little family, but things are finally looking better.”
Mama Mocha is always on the sideline watching over her kittens as they reach one milestone (taking their first steps) after another (learning to play).
After spending an hour in the rain with a kind person, a kitten hiding behind a wall decides to trust them.
A kitten hiding in a wall decided to trust when a kind person spent an hour with her in the rain.
Arya the kittenKristen
Alli, an animal rescuer, received a call from a local cat colony carer who spotted a kitten coming in and out of a wall at a strip mall.
The kitten had taken refuge in the corner where there was a missing brick. When Alli arrived, she found the tabby hidden away in the hole and too afraid to come out.
“It was going to be so cold that night, so I went right away and spent an hour in the rain coaxing her out of the wall,” Alli told Love Meow.
The kitten was seen coming in and out of a wallAlli
“She would mew at me and reach her paws out to me, so I knew I just needed to give her time. She wanted so desperately to be out of the elements.”
Through words of encouragement, the kitten began to warm up to her rescuer. Slowly, she wriggled her way towards Alli. After an hour, she mustered the courage to make her tentative steps out of the wall.
Arya hid in the spot where a brick was missingAlli
After a few pets, the wariness in her eyes melted away. “I had a carrier with me, but all she wanted was to be held and loved.”
The kitten begged for attention, crawled into Alli’s arms, and held her tight with both front paws. She switched on her purr engine and leaned into her rescuer for comfort.
After an hour of coaxing, the kitten came out from hidingAlli
“She purred and made biscuits in my arms the whole way home. This tiny girl has a huge heart and wants nothing more than to get pets and love.”
The kitten named Arya didn’t have a family and had been fending for herself on the streets. Alli got in touch with Kristen, a foster volunteer for St. Francis Society Animal Rescue, who didn’t hesitate to take her in.
All she wanted was to be held and lovedAlli
Shortly after arriving at her foster home, Arya was on Kristen’s shoulder, nuzzling against her cheek. She felt so content that she stretched her toes on her foster mom with purrs rumbling in her chest.
“She was sweet immediately and wanted and still wants nothing but love. Pets, kisses, cuddles – she wants it all,” Kristen shared with Love Meow.
Alli
At first, Arya was guarded around other kittens, hissing and growling at them. She was starved of human affection and demanded attention from her foster family whenever she could.
When Kristen walks into the room, Arya greets her with whiny meows. Her purr motor starts running the second Kristen looks at her. “She is such a love bug.”
She loves people and is an attention-seekerKristen
“Every day, she is getting more and more comfy with her fellow kitten foster friends and is even eating with them now.”
Arya loves nothing more than to purr and cuddle. She’s affectionate, gentle, and always ready for a hug. She fawns over her people and follows them on their heels if she is not snuggling in their arms.
Kristen
“Her purrs are the sweetest music you’ll ever hear.”
The tabby girl is fond of her comfy beds and soft blanket fort, where she sleeps like royalty. She enjoys sitting on a cat tree by the window, watching the day go by while soaking up the warm rays.
Kristen
Arya is ready to look for a forever family who will love and cherish her endlessly, a dream home where she can be the center of attention, the princess of her castle.
Kristen
Share this story with your friends. More on Arya (in FL) and Kristen’s fosters on Instagram. More from St Francis Society Animal Rescue on Instagram and Facebook.