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Oct 26, 2024

Stray Cat Seeking Shelter From the Rain Brings 'All Her Babies' to Human - Newsweek

A stray cat showed up at a woman's house in Chicago with a full litter of kittens, and internet users believe she did so because she knew she would get help. In a viral TikTok video shared in August

A stray cat showed up at a woman's house in Chicago with a full litter of kittens, and internet users believe she did so because she knew she would get help.

In a viral TikTok video shared in August by @kk.katakata, the cat mom can be seen sitting by the poster's porch, staring at her after leaving all of her newborn kittens behind the door, as if asking for help raising them.

The poster says in the video that, while coming back home during a rainy day, she found the kittens, which at the time were only about 2 to 3 days old, lying on the "dirty rug" behind her front door, with their eyes still closed from birth. The poster immediately understood what was going on and brought them all indoors so she could keep them safe and warm.

"Neighborhood cat bought us all her babies," reads a caption shared with the viral post. Newsweek reached out to @kk.katakata for comment via TikTok comments. We could not verify the details of the case.

U.K. charity Cats Protection says that, while kittens usually get everything they need from their mom, they may need your help sometimes, so you should learn how to care for them before birth, in case there are issues and you need to step in.

Neighborhood cat bought us all her babies 🥹 #pregnantcat #fypage #catlover #cutecat #kittycat #pregnancy #petsoftiktok #catmom #straycat

If you have a pregnant cat who is about to give birth, the best thing you can do is keep an eye on her from a distance, intervening only if problems arise.

Once the kittens are born, they usually get all their care and essential nutrients from their mom, but how can you help them if the mother can't?

The first thing to do after they are born is towel-dry them and keep providing them with warmth. Cats Protection suggests using a well-covered water bottle or a heat pad, making sure they are not too hot, and that they are free to move away if needed.

You should also make sure that your kittens feed off their mom's milk for the first day at least, so they can absorb colostrum, a nutrient that is only present in cats' milk and will give them antibodies against diseases.

If your cat won't feed her kittens or she can't produce any milk, you should not feed them cow or any other animal's milk. Instead, you should buy replacement formula specific for cats, and contact your veterinarian as soon as possible.

Kittens can be weaned at about 4 weeks of age, but normally they should not leave their mom at least until they are 8 weeks old. After that, they can go to their new home. Before welcoming a kitten in, you should get your home ready for its arrival.

British animal charity Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) suggests buying all cat essentials such as toys, a scratching post, litter tray and things to climb, and making sure they have enough space. Their litter should be somewhere quiet and accessible.

The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 350,000 views and more than 20,600 likes on the platform.

One user, Gaga48, commented: "Please take them in and take care of them and Mom."

Ritzy_vampi posted: "She's a good mama. she knew you'd help."

Stop and look around wrote: "So many babies. So thankful mama trusted you."

User9025836441423 added: "Momma feels safe with you. She is a smart mamma. Please look after them!"

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.

Maria Azzurra Volpe is a Newsweek Life & Trends reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is reporting on everyday life topics and trending stories. She has covered Pet Care and Wildlife stories extensively. Maria joined Newsweek in 2022 from Contentive and had previously worked at CityWire Wealth Manager. She is a graduate of Kingston University and London Metropolitan University. You can get in touch with Maria by emailing [email protected].

Languages: English and Italian.

Maria Azzurra Volpe is a Newsweek Life & Trends reporter based in London, U.K. Her focus is reporting on everyday ...Read more