A family went to find their missing cat but ended up saving a young cat with kittens.
Hestia the catCeline @comrescuemontreal
Arianne and John were looking for their missing cat when they received a few leads from neighbors who had seen their posters.
While they were checking in on one of the sightings, they came across a friendly stray who was scrawny and dirty. Seeing the cat in such a sorry state, they couldn't leave her to fend for herself, took her in and provided food and water.
The cat voraciously devoured the food until she was filled to the brim. She then purred and rubbed up against the couple as if to thank them for helping her.
She was found as a hungry strayCeline @comrescuemontreal
The next day, the young cat was well rested, and her belly was full and satiated. She surprised the couple when they noticed signs of her being a nursing mom.
"They realized the cat had kittens. She started producing milk after having something to eat and drink," Celine Crom of Chatons Orphelins Montreal shared with Love Meow.
The couple immediately inquired about the cat around the neighborhood to see if anyone recognized her.
Hestia led her rescuers to her kittens stowed away in a shedCeline @comrescuemontreal
"No one was looking for her. The cat was so skinny with stomach issues that she was wasting away in the outdoors. She wouldn't be able to survive long outside."
The couple made another trip back to the place where they found the cat, hoping she would take them to the whereabouts of her kittens. By night time, the cat seemed more confident and began to lead the way to a resident's garden.
Celine @comrescuemontreal
"It was very late and the homeowner was asleep, so the couple decided to return early next morning with the cat."
After getting permission to enter the garden, the cat led them straight to a shed. She immediately ran inside when the door was opened. As she jumped behind a miscellany of things, cries burst out from near a box, and they located the kittens.
Celine @comrescuemontreal
"The cat named Hestia led her rescuers to her four babies. They were alive and well."
Chatons Orphelins Montreal welcomed the feline family of five into their care. The kittens gravitated towards their mom and nursed away happily on her belly. They got a comfortable room to themselves and a caring foster family to cater to their needs.
Celine @comrescuemontreal
"Hestia was given a much-needed bath and treated for her tummy troubles. She has made a full recovery since," Celine shared with Love Meow.
The kittens, four boys, have grown in leaps and bounds since they were uncovered from the shed.
Celine @comrescuemontreal
They have figured out how to use their legs to run and climb, and are learning to eat big kitty food like champs.
Hestia has filled out, and her coat is soft and gleaming. "The little ones are gaining weight every day. The mom coos as soon as her humans enter the room, asking for their attention and pets."
Celine @comrescuemontreal
"The four brothers sleep, play and explore together. They like to pester their mom when she eats, like little troublemakers."
They are inquisitive and rambunctious, each with a unique personality. "When you walk into the room, all four of them will come running to you at once."
Celine @comrescuemontreal
The cat mom and her kittens will never have to spend another day outside thanks to the kindness of Arianne and John.
While the couple continue to look for their cat, they feel a sense of comfort knowing these precious lives have been saved.
Celine @comrescuemontreal
"This little family was lucky to have been rescued. Hestia is a great mom and her four kittens are thriving."
Celine @comrescuemontreal
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