Rescuers from Greenpoint, Brooklyn, used a skillful cat call to bring a litter of kittens out of hiding. However, the feral mama cat had seen this all before and took off with her babies. Afterward, the determined rescuers searched for over a month and went to great lengths to find all the kitties.
They first found the adorable kittens under a deck at a friend’s house in late spring. At that point, it looked like the rescue would be easy because the kittens came running when they called for them by skillfully imitating cat sounds. However, they didn’t want to leave the mama cat behind. Generally, it’s always best to keep the mother with her kittens.
When the rescuers returned to catch them the next day, the street-wise feral mom had already taken off with her babies.
Images via Instagram/Greenpoint_cats
Cat Call Brings All the Kittens to the Yard
Using the cat-call, the kittens come scampering out of hiding from underneath the house. But mama was nowhere to be found.
“Our cat-call brings all the kittens to the yard… 🎵🎶 A visit to a friend’s beach house turns into a mom and kitten rescue mission 🤦🏻♀️Waiting for momma because our policy is “no moms left behind! 🤞”
Feral Mama Cat Has Other Ideas
When the rescuers arrived the next day, finding out all the cats were gone was devastating. But they never gave up, working for over a month to catch the kittens and their sly mama. They reached out to the community during their efforts and learned she had been on the run (and making more kittens) for years.
“After canvassing the neighborhood and searching backyards, we learned that we were not the first TNR/rescue crew she had outsmarted over the years 😠😠,” they said of the feral mom. “But if you’ve followed some of our more epic rescue efforts, you know we are not easily dissuaded! It took more than a month of relentless neighbor check-ins, flyers and outreach until finally, we found – and trapped – them!” they said.
Once safely at the rescue, the mother would finally be spayed so she could never again create kittens that could suffer on the streets. Plus, spaying would mean she could avoid infection of the uterus (pyometra), which can be deadly for feral cats.
Since the kittens were by then weaned, they returned the mama to the yard she chose as her home. In a video, we see the mama cat running off from the carrier through a beautiful yard. There, someone would keep an eye on her and offer food.
Four Cute Kittens Go to Foster Care
The adorable kittens went to foster homes and will never again have to struggle and suffer. When they were ready, they would hopefully find the purrfect forever homes.
The kittens:
- Chive (longhair gray) – originally thought the only male
- Cherry (gray tabby), later Jerry
- Rhubarb and Peach (tabbies), girls
Some wondered how the feral mother cat was doing, and the rescuers said, “Mom is doing fine! The kittens were of the age that she would naturally wean them and push them from the ‘nest,’ so the separation is totally normal. ❤️”
Genius, Meowdel, and Comedian Kittens
In a follow-up, Peach is looking for a home at four months old and a pretty “genius” kitten. Now, she could find a home with a pal, like one of her siblings. By pairing kittens, you can get “twice the love, half the mischief,” as one foster provider said. Kittens will use up their energy playing with each other, and that energy is boundless.
“Peach knows where to relax on a sweltering hot 🥵Caturday afternoon … in front of the AC, of course! At just 4 months old, our little Peach is already a genius, 🍑” the rescuers shared.
Meanwhile, Jerry grew up to be a comedian and meowdel. Just look at that face!
“Jerry has always been a very expressive kitten and could serve as both meowdel and muse to his future adopter. He’s also a ‘little comedian,’ according to his foster and will keep you endlessly entertained. Maybe this kitten needs both an adopter and an agent?”
To help support the Greenpoint Cats, you can follow them on Instagram and Facebook. Even as kitten season is coming to a close, they have so many little furbabies that need ongoing and expensive care, foster providers, and adopters.
Rescued Brooklyn cats Banjo and Lauren below via Facebook
