A kitten was accepted by a cat and her litter of eight, and it changed everything.
Buffy the kittenCourtney @we_foster_kittens
A tiny grey kitten named Buffy was born to a feral cat and ended up being the sole survivor of her litter. Her cat mother didn't show any interest in raising her kittens, and Buffy had to be hand-reared around the clock.
Courtney, a foster volunteer of Rescue Right (in Bedford, NY), stepped up to help. "Her mom wanted nothing to do with her, so I started bottle-feeding her," Courtney shared with Love Meow.
She took on the frail kitten in the nick of time and brought her back from the brink.
She was born to a feral cat and the only survivor of her litterCourtney @we_foster_kittens
A few weeks prior to Buffy's arrival, a heavily pregnant rescued cat named Lola made her way into Courtney's home. She was expected to give birth soon and needed a safe place for her babies.
A week later, she surprised everyone by bringing eight kittens into the world. Lola immediately dove into mommy duties, feeding all eight hungry mouths and catering to their every need.
Lola the cat gave birth to a litter of eight kittensCourtney @we_foster_kittens
Lola kept her babies immaculately clean, gave them undivided attention and all the love she could supply. She was a wonderful mother from the start, and didn't mind having eight wiggly kittens climb all over her.
Not far from the nursery, Courtney and her boyfriend were working tirelessly as a team to make sure that Buffy the singleton was hitting all the milestones.
Courtney @we_foster_kittens
Knowing that Buffy would thrive with a cat mother and siblings, they decided to introduce her to Lola, and hoped the mama would accept the new baby.
"Lola took her in immediately and let her nurse and became her mom," Courtney told Love Meow. "I knew Buffy was going to be okay when Lola accepted her into her family."
Buffy was immediately accepted by her new mom and siblingsCourtney @we_foster_kittens
The eight kittens didn't hesitate to welcome the newcomer in as their own. They played right away and snuggled together in a cuddle-puddle as if Buffy had always been part of the crew.
The couple continued supplementing Buffy while she was nursing alongside her new siblings. "She has fit right in and even started using the litter box, eating food and drinking water."
Courtney @we_foster_kittens
Buffy is over the moon to have other kittens her age to roll around and fall asleep with. They are learning to eat solid food together and honing their feline skills with each other.
If one of the kittens crawls onto a warm lap, the rest of the crew quickly follow suit.
They do everything togetherCourtney @we_foster_kittens
Buffy enjoys mischief-making with her littermates, jumping and hopping all over the place with them.
After playing to her heart's content, she finds herself surrounded by her adoring siblings and falling asleep in the middle of a fluffy, purr-pile.
Lola's eight kittens adore their little sister BuffyCourtney @we_foster_kittens
"She loves being up high or sitting on my lap. But she loves to snuggle with her siblings. It's her favorite thing ever," Courtney told Love Meow.
Buffy has grown very attached to Babs, the runt of the litter of eight.
Courtney @we_foster_kittens
After a rough start as the only survivor of her litter, Buffy gained a new lease on life and a big family that loves her to bits.
She is no longer alone as she has a doting mama and eight siblings to keep her company.
Happy BuffyCourtney @we_foster_kittens
Share this story with your friends. More on Buffy and her feline family and Courtney's fosters on Instagram @we_foster_kittens.
Related story: Cat Takes in Hours-old Kitten As Her Own 10 Days After She Has Her Litter of Three