When a pregnant cat was brought to the Valley Animal Center in Fresno, CA, she was in desperate need of assistance. However, during “kitten season” there are rarely any organizations that have open spaces. Not to mention that a pregnant cat needed a LOT of attention to ensure all goes well before, during and after labor. But when the person was told that they sadly had no available space, they were not happy with the center. The staff also recommended that they take the cat to the vet immediately for assistance.
Because the pregnant cat was already in labor and they stated there were complications!
So what did the person decide the best course of action would be? To simply leave the carrier with the cat in mid-labor at the location, telling no one, and leave. IN TRIPLE DIGIT TEMPERATURES NO LESS!
Pause here to take a deep breath because it’s beyond frustrating. Rescue organizations are not vet offices that have the medical resources or training to care for emergency situation. Especially when a cat is experiencing a difficult labor!
“I should’ve kept my eye on them as they left,” the admin volunteer said, “but I had incoming calls and work I needed to get done.”
The pregnant cat was abandoned in a carrier outside our lobby doors. She was still in mid-labor in almost 100 degree Fahrenheit temperatures! As one of our staff members was leaving early for the day, they noticed the carrier and immediately brought it inside. We estimate the carrier had been outside for at least an hour.
And when they opened the carrier, what they saw was devastating.
During her labor, she had given birth to one kitten but there was a stillborn lying next to them…and cockroaches.
The poor new family had gone thorough literal hell, there’s no other way to describe it. And although the staff and volunteers at VAC knew they were maxed out, they couldn’t turn away from her. They named the mama cat Pie, and her surviving baby Cool Whip.
Our vets were on lunch but we knew that emergency care was needed. However, we all knew she was bleeding more than was normal. Even if emergency surgery was performed, we wondered if Pie would survive. She was tired.
The kitten that survived looked just like Pie; the kitten kept mewling and crawling to its mother, looking for warmth. Like the strong mother she is, Pie nestled and hugged her kitten to her, even as she continued to weaken.
But now, Pie is slowly but surely recovering in their care. She had one more surprise though that truly showed them what a beautiful soul she is.
Because Pie welcomed another orphaned neonatal kitten, Cheesecake, into the family and is caring for him!
Often nursing mother cats will accept abandoned kittens, though not always. But here perhaps there was a bit of fate at play? Because Cheesecake showed up at the perfect time to help Pie’s heart heal from her traumatic labor.
The police are looking into the individual that dumped them and hopefully charges are filed.
Thank you so much to Valley Animal Center for stepping up when it’s NOT easy to do! Please follow them on social media to show your support and donate to all the animals in their care. We can’t wait to see the love that this deserving family gets going forward!
Photos property of Valley Animal Center