A cat gives her single kitten her undivided attention. They share an adorable bond.
A few weeks ago, a pregnant cat was brought into a 24-hour vet clinic after she was found wandering outside without a home.
Staff reached out to their local rescue, Best Friends Felines, and asked for assistance, as the expectant cat mom would need a safe home to raise her litter.
“Luckily, we found a carer who was free to fit her in. We weren’t expecting birth for another couple weeks at least, and we were preparing for what we presumed would be a larger litter,” Nikki of Best Friends Felines shared with us.
To their utter surprise, the cat whom they named Desiree, went into labor much earlier than expected, and gave birth to one big kitten who bore a stark resemblance to the mom.
“Incredibly surprised, she gave birth to only one baby as that is rare,” Nikki told us.
“We were concerned enough to take her to the vets to have an ultrasound to make sure there were no more in there, in case she needed assistance.”
Desiree and her not so tiny baby moved into their carer’s (Aly’s) home and settled in with flying colors. “She’s eating nicely, relaxing, tending to her mini and has chosen her nest.”
The cat momma picked the least expected place to nurse her kitten.
Despite all the cozy beds, big boxes, comfy futon available to her, she opted for the hard, cramped box part of a small scratching tree, so she could keep her precious baby, Tato, as close to her as possible.
“As an only ‘child,’ her love is limitless for Tato — no sibling rivalry to share all the attention and love with,” Nikki told us.
After being completely inseparable to her baby for the first week, Desiree finally started to take small breaks between nursing, and explore the rest of the house.
“She checked out all the rooms she could with cautious curiosity before returning to mom duties,” Aly shared. “Tato continues to be the biggest little baby ever and is round and fuzzy.”
When Tato had her first vet visit, she impressed everyone with her sheer size. When she opened her eyes, she found her voice too and didn’t hesitate to use it.
As soon as her legs were strong enough, she was on the move. “Tato is doing her best to find her feet but is a pro wriggler and gets around when she’s not snoozing.”
Desiree is completely devoted to caring for her little singleton, keeping her thoroughly clean and making sure her belly is always full.
Tato has reached one milestone after another with ease. She makes her mom very proud.
“Tato has also discovered that she quite enjoys pats, and will close her eyes and push up into my hand a bit to make the most of the contact,” Aly wrote.
The doting cat mom has ventured outside her room to greet the resident cat and dog. Whenever she hears Tato’s cries, she rushes back to her kitten and showers the baby with licks.
“She doesn’t leave her room for long but I think, as Tato becomes more mobile and more independent, we could be in for some good couch cuddle sessions with momma Desi.”
The mother and daughter continue to melt hearts every day with their adorable bond. They bring each other so much joy and comfort.
