A cat discovered by hotel staff took in two tiny kittens that needed a mom and raised them alongside her own.
Erika
To the surprise of the staff at Circus Circus Las Vegas, they found a cat left behind in a hotel room, all by herself.
The cat turned out to be pregnant and needed a safe place to raise her kittens. "The staff there reached out to the family that left her, but they avoided their calls," Erika, who fosters for Homeward Bound Cat Adoptions, shared with Love Meow.
"One of the finders' daughters had adopted from me in the past and reached out for help."
CeCe the catErika
Erika sprang into action and prepared a nursery in her home for the cat named CeCe. "When she came to me, I was surprised at how small she was."
Estimated to be one year old, CeCe was affectionate and sweet towards every person she met. After a tour around her new space, she sauntered up to her foster mom for a cuddle.
She is friendly and asks for snuggles all the timeErika
"She's the most loving girl, always wants hugs and snuggles. We have no clue why anyone would abandon her."
Erika walked into the foster room one morning and discovered two newborn kittens nursing on CeCe. Because of her small frame, they thought she only had two.
CeCe had four kittensErika
When Erika's husband checked on them later that day, he realized something was wrong.
By then, CeCe had four kittens, which took a toll on her small body. She had a complication and had to be rushed to an emergency vet.
Erika stepped in to bottle-feed the kittens when CeCe was unable to care for themErika
After a long ordeal, CeCe returned to her foster home with her kittens but was withdrawn, unable to care for them. Erika stepped in and started bottle-feeding the litter every two hours.
On the third day, when Erika was tending to the kittens, CeCe approached her for snuggles. Curious, she smelled her baby, Gravy, and sat beside her as the kitten suckled from a bottle. "She seemed to want to be with her."
After healing, CeCe went into full mama modeErika
CeCe started purring when Erika put two kittens with her. She cleaned them and let them nurse. An hour later, she took on the rest of the litter and "went into full mama mode."
Fast forward three weeks, Erika received a call from the shelter with an urgent request.
The kittens opened their eyes and started to waddleErika
"Two newborn kittens had been dropped off by a stranger that said, 'their mama rejected them,'" Erika shared.
"I picked them up to see if CeCe would accept them with her babies. She immediately kissed them and let them feed off of her."
Two orphaned kittens were brought to the shelter, needing a momErika
Her four kittens, Pumpkin, Pie, Biscuits, and Gravy, welcomed the tiny newcomers, Tater and Tot, into their crew, showering them with snuggles.
CeCe has taken over the feeding and cleaning duties for the new additions, keeping their bellies full and bodies clean.
CeCe immediately accepted them as her ownErika
"Considering her young age and everything she's been through, CeCe continues to amaze me with her love for the babies, even two that aren't hers, and her utter joy," Erika told Love Meow.
Erika
"She is always purring and loves snuggles and hugs. But once a baby makes a noise, she leaves our snuggles and attends to the kids."
The original four are gentle with the younger ones and encourage them to play.
The bigger kittens took to the tiny newcomersErika
They have started to venture out of their nest to explore, while CeCe keeps an eye on them every step of the way.
"Before I know it, I'm going to have six kittens running around everywhere."
Erika
Share this story with your friends. More on the cat family and Erika's fosters on Instagram and Homeward Bound Cat Adoptions on Instagram.
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