Mama cat arrives at shelter with 1 tiny kitten — and ends up with 7
In early April, Mama Mittens and her kitten, Socks, arrived at Helen Woodward Animal Center, and everyone there immediately noticed that they were special. Both were polydactyl cats, meaning they had extra toes and bigger paws than a typical cat. Their uniqueness felt like a good omen.
Little did the staff know Mama Mittens was going to help the rescue just as much as they helped her.
As Mama Mittens settled in, expertly caring for her 3-week-old daughter, a group of six orphaned 1-week-old kittens arrived at Helen Woodward Animal Center. They were hungry and undersized, and needed care that the staff wasn’t sure they could provide on their own. So, they turned to Mama Mittens for help.
The six kittens were given to Mama Mittens, and it didn’t take long for her to pull them in close, feeding and snuggling them. Not only did the mama cat have extra toes, but she had extra love to give, too.
“Overnight, Mama Mittens went from a single mom of one to a single mom of seven,” Courtney Williams, foster assistant manager at Helen Woodward Animal Center, said in a press release. “Animals are amazing. Mama Mittens didn’t just decide to welcome them for nourishment; she immediately began to provide each of them with the love they’d been missing.”
The five boys and one girl in the adopted litter are named Flip, Flop, Jean, Jacket, Hat and Scarf. Thanks to Mama Mittens and her expert care, they’re all thriving, a far cry from the state they were in when they were first rescued. They’ll be ready to find their forever homes sometime in early June.
Mama Mittens came to Helen Woodward Animal Center looking for a soft place to land. As a thank you, she adopted a struggling litter and showed everyone just how powerful a mother’s love really is.
