No one knew if she would accept the six tiny newcomers. Her reaction gave them the answer almost immediately.
When Mama Mittens arrived at Helen Woodward Animal Center in early April, she had just one tiny kitten depending on her.
Her 3-week-old daughter, Socks, stayed close by while the devoted mother settled into her unfamiliar surroundings.
Staff quickly noticed something unusual about the pair. Both Mama Mittens and Socks were polydactyl cats, meaning they were born with extra toes and noticeably larger paws.
But it wouldn’t be their unusual paws that made Mama Mittens unforgettable.
Soon, the shelter would discover just how much love this mother cat was willing to give.
Six Tiny Kittens Suddenly Needed A Mom
Not long after Mama Mittens and Socks arrived, the rescue took in another vulnerable feline family — six orphaned kittens who were only around a week old.
The babies were extremely young, hungry and smaller than they should have been.
At that age, kittens require constant attention, warmth and proper feeding. Without their mother, caring for all six would be a demanding challenge.
The team needed to find a solution quickly.
Then they thought about Mama Mittens.
She was already successfully nursing and caring for Socks. But there was one big question:
Would she be willing to accept six babies that weren’t her own?
The staff decided to give her the opportunity.
Her Reaction Came Almost Immediately
When the orphaned kittens were introduced to Mama Mittens, the team didn’t have to wait long to see what she would do.
Instead of pushing the unfamiliar babies away, she welcomed them.
Mama Mittens pulled the tiny kittens close to her body, allowed them to nurse and began cuddling and caring for them alongside Socks.
Suddenly, the mother who had arrived at the shelter with just one baby was responsible for seven.
And she appeared ready for the challenge.
Courtney Williams, foster assistant manager at Helen Woodward Animal Center, explained that Mama Mittens didn’t simply provide the orphaned kittens with the nourishment they desperately needed.
She also began giving them the affection and maternal attention they had been missing.
The cat with the extra toes, it turned out, had plenty of extra love to share as well.
From One Kitten To Seven
Mama Mittens’ newly expanded family consisted of her own daughter, Socks, and six adopted kittens — five boys and one girl.
The rescued babies were given the names Flip, Flop, Jean, Jacket, Hat and Scarf.
Under Mama Mittens’ watchful care, the kittens began making remarkable progress.
They were no longer the struggling, undersized babies who had first arrived at the rescue.
With regular nourishment, warmth and the comfort of a mother figure, the entire litter began to thrive.
The shelter expected the kittens to be ready to search for permanent homes sometime in early June.
She Came Looking For Help — Then Helped Save Six More
Mama Mittens originally arrived at Helen Woodward Animal Center because she and Socks needed a safe place of their own.
She couldn’t have known that another group of babies would soon need her just as much.
Yet when six motherless kittens were placed beside her, she didn’t seem concerned that they weren’t hers.
She simply became their mother, too.
Mama Mittens entered the shelter caring for one tiny kitten.
Not long afterward, she was surrounded by seven.
And for six vulnerable babies who desperately needed warmth, food and affection, her willingness to accept them may have made all the difference.
