Charity didn’t earn her name by accident. This sweet mother not only tended to her own newborns, but selflessly took on four orphaned kittens who needed a mom of their own.
The story began in late 2012, when a Long Island woman discovered Charity and her seven kittens abandoned, frightened and in grave danger. She turned to North Shore Animal League America the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization, for help.
When they rescued Charity and her litter, the kittens appeared to be barely a day old. Without intervention, their future would have been bleak.
North Shore Animal League America’s veterinarians evaluated Charity and her young ones for any medical issues, and then placed them in the safety of our Nursery, where pregnant dogs and cats are cared for, along with new mothers and their babies.
Over the next few weeks, Charity lovingly tended to her babies, gently grooming and nursing them, keeping them warm and safe in her care. All of the Nursery staff fell in love with this devoted mother and her kittens.
But Charity’s work wasn’t done. As soon as her kittens were ready to be on their own, four orphaned newborn kittens arrived at the nursery through one of their many weekly rescues. Since Charity was still nursing, the orphans were placed with her and she immediately began to feed and groom them as if they were her own. These kittens who needed a mother to call their own now felt that they had found what was missing. It was a beautiful sight to behold. The kittens were nursed until they were ready for adoption.
This devoted mother deserved an amazing caretaker to call her own. Thankfully, the perfect match was found in the home of Michelle, who has doted on her feline family member since she adopted her. Michelle, who renamed the cat Willow, shared an update recently with the staff at North Shore Animal League America:
“Willow is a very sweet cat who has brought such joy to me, my son and her brother Yoshi, our dog. Although her name is Willow, I call her Princess Mischief! She loves to sit in the doorway so we have to step over her. She also loves to play with strings and toes under the blanket. Her favorite thing to do is sit at the window looking at the birds. She loves to be brushed, and the gleam in her eye when she feels the brush shows just how happy she is. It’s amazing to think that a year ago she was a homeless single mom to seven kittens. Today, she is the Queen of the house!”
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North Shore Animal League America is the world’s largest no-kill animal rescue and adoption organization, having saved over 1,000,000 dogs and cats’ lives since beginning in 1944. They are an innovator in animal welfare, committing to rescue and rehabilitate all animals and create a more sustainable world for them. They rescue animals from overcrowded shelters, unwanted litters and from owners who are no longer able to care for them. They also provide affordable veterinary care and dog training services.
