Hi everyone, Katie here.
Imagine two little kittens. Just 10 days old, and no mother to be found. The world must have been a very scary place for this tiny brother and sister duo.
The wonderful people at Minnesota's Feline Rescue, Inc. opened their doors to these babies. And Momma Nadya, a brand new mother herself, opened her heart to them.
When the two orphan kittens (now Zotz & Zagnut) arrived at the shelter, neither were interested in being bottle fed. Meanwhile, a new kitty-mom named Nadya was nursing her little family of five, only two days old. She'd given birth to 6 kittens. Sadly, one didn't make it. He was just too underdeveloped to be able to nurse.
A Mother's Love
The two little orphan kittens were placed in the same room as Nadya and family. It didn't take long. As soon as Nadya heard the kittens, she licked them and carried them over to the rest of the family. Now all seven of the kittens live as one family.
Nadya is a wonderful mother. She’s sweet, affectionate and keeps a watchful eye over her furry babes. The first few
times any of the kittens tried to dart off, she'd carry them right back into the nest. Now
she sleeps in front of the nest, so nobody goes exploring without her knowing
about it.
Purrs for Nadya
Despite Nadya's devotion to her little family, life has not dealt her a very good hand in return. Nadya is FIV positive. The vets aren't entirely sure if she was recently infected and therefore in stage one of FIV. According to our friends at the shelter, there's an infection in the system which causes frequent bouts with fever, anemia and other ailments. These are all things that Nadya has been struggling with as she's been doing double-mommy duty.
Once a cat passes that stage, they enter stage two which is a recovery stage. The virus is still in the system, but the cat is otherwise healthy and doesn't show any signs of illness. Stage three is the end of life phase where FIV cats are more susceptible to disease and illness.
We hope and pray that Miss Nadya is in stage one, not in stage three. At only four years-old, Nadya has so much more loving and living to do.
We asked about her kittens and whether or not they were at risk for developing FIV. According to the shelter, it's unlikely but not impossible. They will each be tested once they are old enough.
Nadya and her kittens have their own blog chronicling their adventures as well as Nadya's ups and downs. Although she's had only a few visits to the vet, Nadya's racked up quite a tab. Over $3,000 in vet bills. Her foster mom, Robin, is taking very good care of her though... administering antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids.
If you'd like to read more about Nadya and her family or if you'd like to help with a donation, you can visit them at:
Warning: Sweetness Overload Ahead
We're thrilled to introduce you to Nadya's family!
ZOTZ is a little girl that wants to wear her big girl furs. She's the ring leader and the first to do EVERYTHING.
ZAGNUT is the biggest of the bunch. He's a tabby boy with medium hair.
BISCOFF is the cute little grey boy.
DOUBLESTUFF is a boy but we're convince he a Katie-Doppleganger.
SHORTBREAD is the tiniest of the kittens. She's a grey & white tabby girl.
STROOPWAFFLE, or Stroopy as he prefers is a tuxie boy full of personality.
...and
FUDGESTRIPE is a little brown & white tabby girl. Don't let that innocent face fool you, she's an avid adventure-seeker.
Zotz & Zagnut, the orphan kittens are about 9 weeks old and Nadya's "cookie-kittens" are 8 weeks old. They are all available for pre-adoption. Miss Nadya is going to need a very loving home too. She'll be available for adoption very soon.
All of today's beautiful photos were taken by Kris Kaiser of KrisKreativ Pet Photography. Based in Minneapolis, Kris works closely with the Feline Rescue foster families as a volunteer pet photographer. ...and we're certain her wonderful photos have helped many homeless cats find their forever homes.
