A kitten who was found crying all night outside, got a new cat mom. It changed everything for her.
Emilie Rackovan
Early last month, a Good Samaritan heard what sounded like a kitten meowing outside incessantly. The cries went on all night but there was no sign of a mother cat. With the kitten wasting away by the hour, they reached out for help.
“Despite their best efforts, they were unable to locate the mom. I took the kitten and noticed immediately that she was in rough shape. She was very thin, weak, and I honestly wasn’t sure if she was going to make it,” Emilie Rackovan, an animal rescuer, shared.
Emilie gently warmed up the fragile kitten, and it brought life back into her tiny body. As soon as the kitten perked up, her ravenous appetite returned.
BarbieEmilie Rackovan
“She was absolutely starving and immediately scarfed down a whole bottle. I named her Barbie. I can tell she’s a fighter.”
The kitten was placed in an incubator to help regulate her body temperature. After every feeding, she would nestle with a snuggle-toy for comfort and fall asleep to the downy fur of the plushie.
Barbie was found crying all night without a momEmilie Rackovan
“Despite the odds against her, she had a voracious appetite and quickly came back to life.”
Over the next few days, Barbie continued to make great strides. She would prop up against the incubator window on the dot for food, and patiently watch her foster mom prepare her bottle.
She bounced back on her feet in foster careEmilie Rackovan
When Barbie was out of the woods, Emilie could breathe a sigh of relief. She had something special planned for the sweet singleton.
Not far from Barbie there was a nursing cat mom doting on her demanding kittens. After having braved the streets for years, Lucy the cat found her way into Emilie’s care.
Lucy the cat and her kittensEmilie Rackovan
Barbie was in desperate need of a mother’s love and kittens her age to play with. “I decided to see if Lucy would adopt her.”
Almost immediately, Barbie waddled up to the cat mom who, without hesitation, began grooming her as Barbie nuzzled up to her, brushing against her face. “I was thrilled to see that Lucy didn’t even think twice.”
Lucy took Barbie in and started caring for her as her ownEmilie Rackovan
Barbie was instantly enamored with her new mom and even emitted a micro rumble.
Being the smallest among her new siblings, Barbie was given supplemental feedings to keep pace with her growth. “She is just so happy to finally have a family.”
Barbie and her new siblingsEmilie Rackovan
Lucy’s own kittens nursed alongside Barbie as if she had always been part of the crew.
In the weeks that followed, Barbie reached many milestones with guidance from the cat mom and encouragement from her siblings.
Barbie joined the family cuddle puddleEmilie Rackovan
Lucy ended up taking on a few more orphaned kittens that needed her. She showered them with unconditional love, kept them clean from head to toe and taught them how to be a cat.
Lucy also mothered a few more orphaned kittensEmilie Rackovan
Barbie and her many foster friends have blossomed into playful, happy, independent young cats.
Lucy is ready to retire from motherhood and find a loving home where she can be the center of attention and enjoy sunbathing by the window.
She is ready to find a place of her ownEmilie Rackovan
Share this story with your friends. More on Emilie’s fosters (in Milwaukee, WI) on Instagram @emiliexfosters.
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