Mother Cat Loses All of Her Kittens, Adopts a Motherless Litter

It is unclear how Mickey arrived at the shelter, but three days after she'd been moved to a foster home, she gave birth to five black and white kittens that looked just like their mama.

But things didn't quite go to plan, the day after giving birth, Mickey was struck down with a horrible upper respiratory infection. (URI)

Sadly for the animals that are rescued, URI's are common at shelters. They are easily transferable and almost impossible to control.

Shelter workers do as much as they can, but it's impossible to stop the spread of these infections. They are even transferred in the air they breathe.

When her foster dad Ryan realized Mickey was having difficulty breathing he immediately contacted the rescue group.

Mickey and her babies were taken to the vet to get the attention they needed. She was immediately separated from her babies, but it was too late. Her babies had already contracted the infection by feeding on her milk.

Mickey's babies went into emergency foster care where they were bottle fed, tube fed, and treated for their illness. 

But sadly it wasn't enough. They were only two days old and without their mother's milk to help build up their immune systems, they sadly lost their lives.

Mickey was given plenty of medication, and placed on an IV to keep her alive. She was in the ICU for a week and everybody thought it was a miracle that she survived.

But as soon as Mickey had recovered it was clear to all that she was depressed and desperately missing her babies.

Then the rescue center got a call, there was a litter of four orphaned black and white kittens without a mother. This could be just what Mickey needed.

The volunteers united Mickey with the orphaned kittens and they took to each other immediately.

Mama Mickey began licking her new babies, which looked very much like her own babies, and the kittens began feeding.

Mickey and her new kittens are all healthy and getting along like one big happy family.

Watch the video:

Related story: Cat Who Lost Her Kittens Cries When She Meets An Abandoned Kitten

More from We Love Cats and Kittens:

• Cat with Short Legs Looks Like a Tiny Potato
• Woman Secretly Filmed Her Cat ‘Home Alone’ and it Broke Her Heart
• Meet The Nevada Railway Cat That Looks Like He Needs A Bath
• 6 Best Tools For Matted Cat Hair