Annabel & Her Foster Babies

Not long ago, Annabel was in dire need of help at a local shelter. It appeared that she may have been pregnant but was so severely underweight and very small for potentially being far along we knew there might be some trouble to come. The shelter called us, desperate to get her to a quieter place. This innocent girl looked so very tired and beaten down by life. We barely had any space ourselves, but took her on in order to give her the stress-free environment she so very much needed to birth her babies. 

Little did we know that we got this angel in the nick of time because as we began the 40-minute drive home, her water broke in the car! Fortunately, we had already set everything up for her to begin labor, so as soon as she made it back home with us, she snuggled into warm blankets and prepared the space for her littles—FIVE hours after being in our care! 

We stayed by her side until 1 am to make sure she didn’t have any complications, and she delivered her first and only kitten. It was already apparent that she would be such a good mama. She was so attentive since the minute her baby entered the world.

But then we got another urgent call from the shelter. A mama had delivered her babies around the same time as Annabel but was having neurological complications and refused to care for or clean them. This poor kitty, confused and probably in immense distress, hid from her babies, leaving them on the cold floor. The issue was that if no one fed those babies soon, they might not live for much longer. Breathless and panicking, the shelter officer told us that their little kitten bodies were already growing cold.

We couldn't leave those orphaned babies to suffer and possibly die, so we immediately hopped in our car to pick them up. On the way home, we placed them on warming pads and tried hard to get their temperatures up. We fed them every hour until they began moving and stimulating their digestive systems. Despite being abandoned the very second of their birth, these little kitties were fighters from the very beginning. They had such a strong will to survive. Nevertheless, we knew it would be much, much better for them socially, physically, and mentally to have a mama cat to teach them right from wrong, to instinctively know when they are hungry, to feed them and warm their tummies, and to help them go to the bathroom. 

The thought crossed our minds, but it was only a fleeting idea. But then we decided to try it...what if we placed these little orphaned kitties next to Mama Annabel and her baby? 

Since Annabel had only given birth to one kitty, maybe she might like having a whole flock to look after. We laid them next to Annabel, and she sniffed them curiously, then let them lay down next to her and her baby to stay warm. Then, the next morning we woke up to a miracle!

Annabel was trying to get the orphaned kitties to feed on her. Tears came streaming down our faces, it was such a beautiful sight. Annabel and her bio-baby made room for these innocent souls, and then Annabel naturally took them on as her own! While we waited for her body to kick in and produce the right amount of milk, we supplemented some of the kitties' feeding with kitten formula. 

Life couldn't have brought together two more compatible cases. Annabel, a capable yet slightly lonely mama yearning for more babies to love on, and four orphaned angels in need of a mama to survive. We are SO happy to say that ever since Annabel took them on as her own, ALL kitties, including her bio-baby, have been thriving. And now, their futures have been decided, and they are as wonderful as you can hope for. 

Annabel and all five of her kittens were adopted a couple of weeks ago, and two kittens, Lucky and Pikachu, were even adopted together! While we are sad to part with these innocent angels, we could not be happier at the beautiful little world Annabel and her family are creating for themselves. This sweet mama is DEFINITELY starting a new chapter, and so are her precious littles! Isn’t it thrilling? And it’s all thanks to you! Through their CUDDLY campaign, we were able to raise awareness, funds, and resources for this little family. A heartfelt thanks go to you all, their incredible army of supporters, whose generosity and care made this transformation possible!  Here's to a fantastic 2024 for Annabel and her flock and all the new adventures that await them in their loving homes! 🐾✨