A cat with the cutest name, Valerie Purrtinelli, is the purrfect example of what can happen if you don’t have your indoor cat spayed. Driven by the powerful urge to find a mate, she busted loose into the big city. She didn’t know the dangers that were waiting out there, and there were plenty!
After escaping from her home, Valerie, two years old, wound up in a crowded and stressful New York shelter. She was heavily pregnant and gave birth confined in a cold kennel. Although the family was safe from street hazards like cars or dogs or mean people, they were also at risk for getting sick from airborne illnesses. And the sad reality is millions of cats like Valerie and her kittens are euthanized because there’s not enough room or resources.
But not this time – the shelter reached out for help to Long Island rescuer Ashely from Biscuits and Breadsticks. Although already caring for a house full of kittens, Ashely found a safe place for Valerie Purrtinelli and her beautiful babies.
Valerie Purrtinelli Purrs Cautiously in Foster Care
Although she was very scared, Valerie purred away with her babies once safe in the foster home. Even though she was someone’s former pet, she was very scared and skittish after all she had experienced. To help her relax, Ashely played white noise, talked soothingly to her, and gave her toys to play with when she wasn’t nursing.
Happily, Valerie was a caring mother to her little ones and warmed up to her new foster mom. And Ashley soon fell head over heels in love with the sweet mama cat.
“Valerie is the sweetest, snuggliest cat!” Ashely shared.
Images and media via Instagram/Dapper Daniel Diapurrman and Biscuits and Breadsticks
“I love getting to name these tiny little beings after humans I admire and adore so much!” Ashley shared.
The kittens later received the cutest names:
- Mandy Pawtinkin
- Demi Logato
- Hank Grrreen
- Jonathan Van Hiss
Demi Logato and Hank Grrreen
At four weeks, the kittens began “venturing away from the milk bar,” for the first time. They began “building up their biscuit making skills in preparation for the real world.”
Jonathan Van Hiss and Mandy Pawtinkin
Despite having everything they needed, one of the kittens didn’t make it. Hank had been born with hydrocephalus, an enlarged head and fluid buildup in his brain. Consequently, he needed veterinary care early on. But one night, he began having seizures, a horrible thing to witness. Despite every effort to help him, including emergency vet care, he crossed the rainbow bridge. Such heartbreaks are an expected part of rescue work but it never gets easier. But for his short life, thankfully he experienced a bit of love.
Hank Grrreen the kitten crossed the rainbow bridge
Mama Valerie Goes Back into Heat
When the remaining kittens were five weeks old, Valerie Purrtinelli went into heat again! She once more had the urge to find a boyfriend, and if she had remained outdoors, she would have begun having more kittens. It’s a clear example of why having indoor pets spayed and neutered is critical.
She was malnourished with matted fur when she arrived at the shelter and would have continued to decline rapidly. With a sick mama, any future kittens would have been sick from the beginning too. This is the what it’s like for most cats having kittens on the streets. The odds are always against them by an extremely high margin.
“She went into heat when her babies were barely 5 weeks old, so if she hadn’t been trapped, she would likely be giving birth to another litter as soon as these guys had weaned,” Ashley shared.
After being spayed, Valerie Purrtinelli was ready to start a new life where she could be a pampered house cat again. At the time of this writing, she’s looking for a home in the Long Island area. To find out more, you can visit Biscuits and Breadsticks. Her daughter Demi Logato could also go home with her!
Valerie Purrtinelli with her daughter, Demi Logato
“We think she would prefer a home with no other pets as she hasn’t enjoyed, when other cats visit her room. We don’t know if she’ll feel differently once her babies are adopted, but we suspect she prefers people over other cats. What we know for sure is that she is ready to be done with motherhood,” Biscuits and Breadsticks shared.
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