A stray cat found the perfect family for help so her kittens could have a chance at a better life.
Ashley Morrison @youngestoldcatlady
A cat wandered her way to a barn in Lake Chelan, Washington earlier this year. A neighbor started caring for her after no one came to claim the cat. A little while later, she realized that the torbie was pregnant and in need of a safe place.
Ashley Morrison, a rescuer and fosterer based in Seattle, was contacted about the feline, and didn’t hesitate to take her. “She was a bit skittish when I first met her, and confused about where she was,” Ashley shared with Love Meow.
After getting a full belly and a room to herself, the expectant cat mom warmed up to her foster family and began to relax. As soon as she discovered the Bird TV by the window, she was obsessed, and spent a lot of time on the windowsill, watching the day go by.
They named the cat Birdie because she is an expert bird-watcher. Her belly doubled in size as she approached the due date.
Ashley walked into the cat room one morning, to the cutest little surprise. “Birdie had her babies overnight,” Ashley said. “In case she felt more comfortable in a quieter darker space, I had put a basket with blankets in the bathroom.”
Sure enough, Birdie chose the very basket to have her kittens, out of all the birthing options Ashley had provided. She gave birth to a litter of five healthy babies. They were brought into this world in the comfort of a loving home, away from the elements of the outdoors.
Birdie, the young momma, tried her best to care for her demanding kittens and kept them safe at all times. Ashley created a space for the mom, where she could see one entrance and feel secure and safe.
Birdie preferred keeping her kittens in the shower room for the first couple of weeks, so she could feel comfortable to leave them in the nest while she went to replenish and stretch out.
At around one year old, Birdie is still a kitten at heart. “She would have been just as happy to stay a kitten herself with no babies,” Ashley said. “I’ll be so happy for her when her momma role is done and she will get to find a forever home indoors, where she can play and be loved on.”
As soon as the kittens’ eyes opened and ears perked up, they started to waddle about and tried to venture out of the nest on their own.
Ashley upgraded their nest to a spacious playpen where the little bundles of fluff could move around safely and learn to walk.
Momma Birdie is watching over her kittens every step of the way, making sure that they are near.
As a young mom, Birdie is doing a great job caring for her babies. At the same time, she is eager to play and act like a kitten herself.
The litter of five has really blossomed in foster care. At six weeks old now, they can eat from a dish like big kitties and are running the cat room like they own it.
They still go back to their momma for a mid-day snack and some comfort and TLC.
When the kittens are big enough for adoption, they will be spayed and neutered and look for their forever homes.
Momma Birdie will retire from motherhood once and for all, and find a place of her very own, where she can be a kitten again.
The five litter mates (Dove, Finch, Hawk, Raven, and Robin) are thriving. Their personalities are shining through.
“(There are) all these beds and the kittens cram themselves onto one scratcher.”
