When A Stray Cat Sneaks Into A House To Give Birth To Her Kittens, She Protects Herself

A stray cat population is not uncommon in Queens, New York. Indeed, New York City’s streets are said to be “home” to tens of thousands of the country’s stray and feral cats. While many of New York’s feral cats live in colonies and do a fantastic job of surviving and growing, not all of them prefer to live in the alleys. After a brief experience living on the streets in a local wild cat colony, a cat in Brooklyn selected Nathaniel Styer as his lifelong home this winter.

A cat in Queens took her future into her own paws a few months ago when she saw an opportunity in an open door and went for it. A Queens lady watched as a tabby cat outside her house dashed inside, going to the basement to keep warm and comfy. She couldn’t bring herself to take the cat from the safety and warmth of her basement, especially given the freezing weather outside, so she decided to let the cat spend the night.

The tabby cat reappeared two weeks after the unexpected encounter, but what occurred next altered everything.

She gave birth to a brood of kittens! Despite this, the homeowner found the bundles of joy on her shoe rack. The cat had carefully chosen a safe and warm environment for her young.

Unsure what else to do, the homeowner contacted The Crazy Cat Family, a local cat rescue organization, which dispatched Sara Zoe to assist.

Sara took the mom cat and kittens to her house to foster them as a volunteer for the rescue. She gave the mom Magnolia (aka Maggie) the name Magnolia and was pleased as they settled into their new home. Sara quickly recognized, however, that Maggie could need more than the usual new parent.

Sara said in an interview with Love Meow:

With a fever of 105 degrees (40.6 degrees Celsius), she had a serious illness. Her health began to deteriorate, and she was admitted to the hospital for over a week.
The kittens struggled to eat from the bottles of specially prepared kitten formula Sara supplied after being separated from their mother and her milk. Sara tube-fed them at first since they needed to be nourished 24 hours a day! That’s commitment.

Being very ill and removed from her babies in a hospital for a week, like many other mothers separated from their children throughout mammalian species, had long-term effects, but Sara was up to the task:

Mama made a full recovery, but I had to continue bottle feeding because she wasn’t producing as much milk after being away from the kittens for so long. She and I worked well together. The babies were gaining weight and receiving adequate nourishment.

Mama Maggie may have started out as a stray cat, but she was definitely destined for greatness. Her foster family is one of her favorites. She’s a chatty little thing who isn’t bashful about requesting love and treats:

Mama Magnolia is a highly protective mother who cherishes her saplings, as we’ve dubbed them. She’s talkative and purrs a lot, especially when she’s being touched and talked to!

And there’s been a lot of progress:

Her favourite hobby is cuddling up to us when we watch TV. Ash and Juniper, two of her kittens, were adopted today. There are also applications for everyone else! Mama will be moving to her new house in May.

Whoever gets to take this cute kitten into their house is really lucky!

Take a look at this fantastic movie documenting their rescue and recuperation! It’s really lovely.

Mama Magnolia took a risk by taking her and her kittens’ life into her own hands to ensure a safe birth, and the results are apparent to everyone who has been touched by these fluffy felines.