A stray cat found help in the nick of time so her kittens could thrive.
Earlier this summer, a petite stray cat showed up in a feral cat colony in North Phoenix, Arizona, scrounging for food. The colony caretaker spotted her at a feeding station and noticed that she was pregnant.
They immediately sprang into action and got the expectant cat mom to safety. The friendly stray was just skin and bones but so thankful to be off the streets. Jin's Bottle Babies, a local rescue in Phoenix, was contacted, and their foster volunteer, Juliette Veregge, immediately stepped up to help.
"When we got her, she was under seven pounds, which is terribly skinny for a pregnant cat. She was due within a couple of weeks, but she wasn't eating and was losing weight very quickly," Shelbi Uyehara, founder of Jin's Bottle Babies, told Love Meow.
"We took her to the vet, and they determined that there were just too many kittens in her tiny belly. She wouldn't be able to birth them safely nor would they survive much longer."
With an emergency C-section, they were able to rescue her kittens and save the mama's life. Chrissy the cat mom bounced back from the surgery and had her first full meal that night. She finally started gaining some much-needed weight.
"I bottle fed the babies for a few days while we let Chrissy heal and kickstart her milk production," Shelbi added.
When Chrissy was reunited with her kittens, she was still short in milk supply. Foster mom Juliette provided supplemental feedings to the babies around the clock. Despite their very best efforts, one of the kittens sadly lost her fight. The rest of the litter pulled through and began to thrive.
With painstaking care from the foster family, Mama Chrissy finally had enough milk for all four hungry mouths. She went in full mommy mode, nursing, cleaning and snuggling with her babies.
She was completely devoted and refused to leave their side, nearly 24/7. Juliette had to place food in front of her to remind her to replenish.
When the kittens were big enough to venture out of the nest, Mama Chrissy watched over them, making sure that they didn't wander far.
The sweet cat mom keeps her kittens clean from head to toe with mandatory baths. She wraps her arms around them when they nap, and never runs out of cuddles for her little ones.
"She's very protective of her babies, and when she's away from them she cries for them," Juliette told Love Meow.
Watch this adorable little family in this cute video:
The four feline siblings, Flora, Faye, Lucy and Tommy, have blossomed into happy, playful kitties. They are plump and healthy and have cute chonky bellies to show off.
Mama Chrissy spoils her kittens to bits. Not only does she cater to their every need but also she gives them whatever they want.
"She loves her babies so much that at eight weeks old, the kittens want nothing to do with eating on their own," Juliette added.
Chrissy has the cutest little chirps when she coos to her kittens or asks her humans for attention. She enjoys having a conversation with people and always talks back to them when they ask her a question.
"She has the sweetest demeanor. She lets me love and kiss all over her," Juliette told Love Meow.
The kittens are catching up in size with their mom and are almost ready to spread their wings and fly.
Two of them have been spoken for. Flora, Faye, and Mama Chrissy are still looking for their forever loving homes.
Chrissy has come a long way since the day she was found. She's loving her VIP life and so deserving of a great home that will forever cherish her.
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Related story: Stray Cat Brought Her Kittens to Family's Yard So Their Lives Could Be Turned Around