A cat had kittens on her way to getting help. She ended up adopting two more kittens just days later.
Jewel the catBestFriendsFelines
Kerry, a volunteer of Best Friends Felines, was contacted about a heavily pregnant cat needing rescue. Upon arriving to pick up the cat, she had already birthed two kittens.
"Kerry had a feel of her tummy and believed she was finished, so bundled her and her newborns up, and took them home to the maternity suite awaiting them," Best Friends Felines shared.
The cat named Jewel quickly settled into her new space. She was quite pleased with the living arrangements, especially the all-you-can-eat buffet. The next morning, Kerry was in for quite the surprise.
Jewel had three kittens of her ownBestFriendsFelines
Kerry walked into the room and saw three little faces peering out at her. As it turned out, Jewel gave birth to her third and last kitten during the night.
All three of them lined up perfectly against their mama's belly, nursing away in unison. "Jewel is the cutest little girl with big saucer eyes that are very crossed," Kerry shared.
BestFriendsFelines
Jewel immersed in mommy duties and catered to her babies' every whim. Over the course of the week, she rarely left their side, and the trio made great strides each day.
The following Monday, a local vet clinic reached out to Best Friends Felines about two "failure to thrive" kittens desperately needing a mom.
BestFriendsFelines
"Their mama was just a young girl who had six babies. Four were doing okay, but she just didn't have enough milk to give such a large litter."
They immediately thought of Jewel and her one-week-old trio, who were similar in weight to the two almost 4-week-old kittens.
Jewel adopted two older kittens who needed a momBestFriendsFelines
"We decided to take them in and introduce them to Jewel in the hopes she would accept them."
Mama Jewel went in to nurse right away, and started bathing the new babies as if they were her own. "These little ones are pretty emaciated for their age, weighing almost 1/3 of what they should be."
BestFriendsFelines
With unconditional love from Jewel and supplemental feedings, the two tuxedo boys began putting on weight. They reveled in napping with their three younger siblings in a cuddle-puddle.
When the trio reached three weeks of age, they started to venture out a few steps from the nest, waddling about, trying to move around like their big brothers.
BestFriendsFelines
The tuxedos almost doubled in size in just one week. "They are the sweetest babies. They come running to me when I go into their room, then instantly climb into my lap for cuddles," Kerry added.
"Jewel is such an amazing and attentive mother. The kittens make one little squeak, and she is right there, fussing over them."
BestFriendsFelines
Once the kittens entered the playful, boisterous phase, Jewel began to spend more time hanging out with her foster family. She soaked up all the love and cuddles, and her big purr motor never seemed to stop running.
Her two older babies, Batman and Robin, grew to be rotund bundles of energy, whereas her trio, Opal, Stirling and Slate, were getting adept at creating feline antics and mischief.
Jewel took a step back from mommy duties, as she was ready to retire from motherhood and be the center-of-attention.
BestFriendsFelines
"She captivated everyone with her gorgeous looks, amazing eyes, and beautiful nature. She raised her own three babies as well as two older kittens," Kerry said.
"All five of her babies have been adopted, and now so has Jewel."
BestFriendsFelines
"Needless to say, the second her family met her, they were besotted. I know they will treat her like the princess she is."
BestFriendsFelines
Share this story with your friends. More from Best Friends Felines on Instagram @bestfriendsfelines and Facebook.
Related story: Tiny Kitten Spotted Outside Abandoned Shows So Much Strength, Now Has a Cat to Watch Her Grow