A friendly, beautiful cat later named Mona Lisa found herself abandoned in an apartment complex. Her human family was unfortunately evicted and they left without the heavily pregnant cat. Fortunately, the apartment owners took her in while they looked for a rescuer to help. The mama soon had 3 girls and two boy kittens which didn’t get a lot of socialization for the first six weeks.
Fortunately, Mona Lisa found sanctuary with rescuer Ashley, the “Youngest Old Cat Lady.” Although Ashely is no longer with us, many cats like Mona Lisa and her babies have happy lives thanks to her. Their humans will enjoy a lifetime of love and purrs. We share this story in tribute to her important work and life story, which will continue to bring love, awareness, compassion, and education to the rescue world.
The torbie (or maybe tortico) mama cat looks like a work of art with many colors and patterns, like brush strokes.
“Mom cat looks like she has a little cat tail on her face and dipped her face in paint,” said Ashely.
Images and media via Instagram/youngestoldcatlady
Mona Lisa’s bebés were a colorful mixture of colors and textures. Two were orange tabbies, one was a tortie mix like Mama, and two were striped and spotted tabbies. All were a little shy and scared of people, but luckily in good health. There were already eating some wet food, but Mama continued to nurse them even when she was not feeling her best.
Mona Lisa and the Artist Kittens
While they adjusted to their new home, Mona Lisa wanted affection and enjoyed playing with a peacock feather. With suggestions from thousands of followers, the colorful kittens and Mama received their art-inspired names.
Mama Mona Lisa and Her Artist Kittens
The two orange boys:
- Remi (Rembrandt)
- Vince (Vincent Van Gogh)
The three girls:
- Georgia (O’Keeffe)
- Frida (Kahlo)
- Helen (Frankenthaler)
Helen is the baby who looks most like her Mama.
“Helen looks just like her mama. Just put her colors vertically instead. Haha,” Ashley wrote.
The Artist Kittens Learn to Trust
The cuties slowly became socialized with time and TLC.
“Just a little puddle of kittens. They are all doing great. They’ve stopped running when I walk in the door, so slowly making progress! ❤️ After a few minutes they’ll run around playing.”
With a new cat tree and places to explore, the kittens became bolder, silly, and more adventurous.
“Remi is a mood.”
The Artist Kitten’s bebé daddy was a mystery, but Georgia’s pose gave some pawsible clues.
“All I’m saying is, we’ve never seen Georgias father. And we have no proof he was a Tom cat. We have no proof he wasn’t a kangaroo either.”
As Ashley often managed to do as if by magic, she caught the Artist Kittens all lined up in a row. All are looking at the camera in unison. She humorously explained how she found them this way.
“For people asking- I did not line them up lol They did this all on their own. If you enter a room with kittens and they are all lined up like this with their heads all facing the same way, 99% of the time, they were just nursing on mom, and she got up and walked away. That’s why they look like they are in a milk coma. 🍼🍼🍼🍼”
Mona Lisa and the Artist Kittens Paint a Happy Future
After being vaccinated, spayed, and neutered, Mona Lisa and the Artist Kittens were ready to paint a happy future. Thanks to their foster mom’s expert care and efforts, they all found homes. Mona went home with her baby Georgia and Remi, and Frieda went to homes with new kitten friends.
“I love adoption day, but I love it more when it’s a mom cat who’s been through a lot. No more being abandoned. Just a loving, safe, warm home with her daughter,” Ashley wrote.
Then, due to allergies, Helen and Vince went to a new home together – twice!
“Did you know there are two cats in this photo?”
As they were ready to begin their lives, Ashely shared a picture showing the first day she got the kitties versus how far they had come. Below is what they looked like when they arrived in a carrier looking very scared.
And next, you can see how they blossomed thanks to their foster mom, whose skills at rescue work were honed like a fine art. Today, Mona Lisa and her Artist Kitten are all spreading love and companionship with their families for a lifetime.
