Cats are beloved pets, and owners around the globe claim they make their lives better. People love cats for several reasons, from their graceful beauty to how they make us feel. Sometimes pets form close bonds with each other, comparable sibling relationships between humans. Shelter animals can become so attached to their buddies that it can be hard to separate them, which can make it hard for them to find a new home. It’s not often that potential adopters are willing to take in two animals at once.
The brave woman, Jacqueline, came across a Facebook post about a very stressed pregnant cat at a shelter. Knowing that newborn kittens would be at risk at the shelter, she arranged transport to rescue the expectant cat. “She was examined and found to be in overall good health except an upper respiratory infection. I was told she could give birth any day within the next two weeks,” Jacqueline told LM. The cat, Fenel, was temporarily placed in Jacqueline’s bathroom while she was working on getting the kitten nursery ready. The sweet tabby was so happy to be out of the facility that she kept rubbing against Jacqueline’s legs for attention and cuddles.
“She was so happy to have been saved. She ate a ton, was super affectionate, and would lay her head down on my lap while kneading,” Jacqueline said. The next day, Jacqueline placed a birthing box in the bathroom “just in case” as the nursery room would be ready the following day. She did not expect to see kittens that soon, so went about running errands after feeding Fennel that evening. When she came back, she heard a tiny squeak that sounded like a kitten. “I kept thinking I should go check but then doubted myself because I had just been in there to feed her and she was fine.”
An hour later, she heard another tiny meow. Jacqueline jumped out of her bed and went to the bathroom. Jacqueline told Love Meow. Two of them survived and had already begun nursing. She ran out to bring all the supplies into the bathroom. She transferred the feline family of four from the box to the bathtub covered with towels, blankets, and a heating pad, and she stayed with them in the tub until 4:30AM. Hours later, Jacqueline discovered one final kitten lodged in her belly that needed to be taken out through a c-section. Fennel made it through the long ordeal with Jacqueline by her side. Three out of her five kittens survived and were eating like champs. As soon as Fenel felt better, she jumped right back to nursing and caring for her kittens.
