Jewel the cat had quite an eventful time before finding her forever home. Kerry, a volunteer of Best Friends Felines, was called to rescue a heavily pregnant cat. Upon arriving, Kerry found that Jewel had already given birth to two kittens. Kerry thought that Jewel was finished giving birth, so she decided to take Jewel and her newborns home.
The next day, Kerry found out that Jewel had actually given birth to a third kitten the previous night. All three kittens snuggled up against their mom and nursed away. Kerry described Jewel as a cute little girl with very crossed big saucer eyes.
Over the course of the week, Jewel immersed herself in mommy duties and rarely left her kittens’ side. The kittens, Opal, Stirling, and Slate, made great strides every day under their mother’s attentive care.
One day, a local vet clinic saw two “failure to thrive” kittens that desperately needed a mom. Their young mom, who had given birth to six kittens, didn’t have enough milk to support such a large litter. The Best Friends Felines team immediately thought of Jewel and her week-old trio, who were similar in weight to the almost 4-week-old kittens.
Kerry introduced the two kittens to Jewel, hoping that she would accept them. Much to their delight, Jewel went straight to nurse the new babies and even started bathing them as if they were her own.
The two tuxedo boys, who almost weighed 1/3 of what they should have for their age, began putting on weight with Jewel’s unconditional love and supplemental feedings. They also enjoyed napping with their three younger siblings in a cuddle-puddle.
When the trio reached three weeks of age, they started to venture out a few steps from the nest, waddling about and trying to move like their big brothers. The tuxedo kittens almost doubled in size in just one week.
“They are the sweetest babies. They come running to me when I go into their room, then instantly climb into my lap for cuddles,” Kerry shared. “Jewel is such an amazing and attentive mother. The kittens make one little squeak, and she is right there, fussing over them.”
As the kittens grew into the playful and boisterous phase, Jewel began spending more time hanging out with her foster family. She soaked up all the love and cuddles, with her big purr motor never seeming to stop running.
Her two older babies, Batman and Robin, grew to be rotund bundles of energy, while Opal, Stirling, and Slate were getting adept at creating feline antics and mischief. Jewel took a step back from mommy duties, ready to retire from motherhood and be the center-of-attention.
“She captivated everyone with her gorgeous looks, amazing eyes, and beautiful nature. She raised her own three babies as well as two older kittens,” Kerry remarked. “All five of her babies have been adopted, and now so has Jewel.”
Jewel’s beauty and loving nature captured the heart of her new family immediately. Kerry knew they would treat Jewel like the princess she is.
Jewel’s was a story of resilience and hope. It’s a reminder that no matter how tough life may be, there’s always a chance for something good to happen. Sharing this story of Jewel’s journey and the amazing work of Best Friends Felines shows that there’s always hope for animals in need.
