A cat showed up at a house and gave birth to a litter of kittens in the rain right before Mother's Day.
Sarah Kelly at Sparkle Cat Rescue
A resident from Jamestown, North Carolina spotted a stray cat hanging around their property last week. They asked around the neighborhood if she belonged to anyone, and no one claimed her. Saturday morning, the area was hit with thunderstorms when the friendly stray gave birth to a litter of kittens.
The cat momma tucked her babies in the bushes to keep them safe, but the stormy weather coupled with unknown elements were putting the kittens at risk. The homeowner reached out to Sparkle Cat Rescue for help.
Stephanie Grantham, Executive Director of Sparkle Cat Rescue, immediately began to look for a foster home that would be able to take in the little family.
All of the volunteers were full, but Sarah Kelly, one of the fosters, was able to recruit another family who stepped up to help.
Sarah Kelly at Sparkle Cat Rescue
Once they had secured a foster, Sarah set out to the neighborhood to rescue the cat mama and her kittens. "We were concerned about the impending rain and storms rolling in. At first, when she got to the home they couldn't find mom and kittens," Stephanie told Love Meow.
As they were searching for their whereabouts, the homeowner heard crying coming from the bushes beside the house. "The mom came out and we were so worried so we had to rush to find her babies before they got rained on or cold."
Sarah Kelly at Sparkle Cat Rescue
It was a race against the weather and all odds. "We were digging through the bushes in the pouring rain until we found them. It was emotional and we dug for what seemed like forever to find them."
The cat mom was covered in rain, but her kittens were in relatively good condition despite the down pour.
As it turned out, "Mama curled around her babies and was taking as much of the pouring rain as she could to shield them, which is why she was so wet."
Sarah Kelly at Sparkle Cat Rescue
Sarah scooped up the kittens and got the whole family safely in the car.
"As we drove them to their foster mom Christy, Mama kept them tucked so close to her and made sure to clean them off and warm them up."
Sarah Kelly at Sparkle Cat Rescue
The mom and her four little kittens spent the rest of their Mother's Day weekend in a safe, warm room, nestled in a cozy bed.
Watch their rescue journey in this video:
Stray cat and her kittens rescued from pouring rain youtu.be
"We are so lucky that the family living near them noticed and was able to help point us in the right direction. We are so grateful that Christy was able to take them in, in such short notice. It takes a village to rescue and foster."
Sarah Kelly at Sparkle Cat Rescue
"The mama and babies are doing very well - snuggling, purring, and most importantly - safe and warm," Sarah added.
"We love that this past weekend was the last Mother's Day this mama will ever have to spend nursing babies and raising litters."
Sarah Kelly at Sparkle Cat Rescue
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Related story: Stray Cat Comes Back to Find Her Kittens Who Were Brought to the Shelter