Pet column: Joys of fostering a mom and her kittens, let me count the ways

If you recall a few weeks back, I fostered two feral kittens, Wednesday and Gomez. When it was time to take them back to the shelter to be spayed, neutered and placed up for adoption, Andrew and I said our tearful goodbyes, but felt very proud that we had helped two feral, fearful kittens become confident, well socialized love-bombers.

Within just a few days, they were adopted as a pair and are enjoying their new home together. Knowing that made our tearful goodbye so completely worth it.

What I didn’t expect when I took them back to the shelter was that I would be rushed by three very excited shelter volunteers who enthusiastically encouraged me to go home with another batch of kittens who had just been brought in.

Only this time, it was a nursing momma cat and her seven adorable babies.

I learned that one of our very dedicated shelter volunteers, Mary Anne, who is also pretty well known in our community as a kind and thoughtful cat rescuer, had been “gifted” the momma and her litter.

One morning, Mary Anne happened to look out her window to see a car had stopped in front of her house. Someone got out with a large box and placed it on her driveway and quickly sped off. Inside the box was a nursing momma and her 3-week-old babies.

So, Mary Anne did what she always does when she finds vulnerable cats and kittens — she brought them to the shelter to be given a health check and placed in a loving foster home until the kittens could be weaned, socialized and grow until they were old enough (at about 2-months) to be spayed/neutered and adopted into loving homes.

To be honest, that felt like a lot to take on. Wednesday and Gomez were only two kittens — and they were more than a handful to manage.

With all my experience caring for animals, I was still a novice at fostering kittens, after all. So, the idea of taking on an adult with seven nursing kittens felt a little overwhelming.

But those enthusiastic volunteers successfully peer pressured me into taking them. I’m so glad they did because as it turned out, it was far easier than I ever would have expected.

My husband, Andrew, named them Snow White and the Seven Demons.

You’re probably wondering how an adult cat and seven tiny kittens would be easier to manage than just two. But wow, what a world of difference it makes when you have a caring nursing momma around to do all the heavy lifting.

Snow is such a gorgeous, sweet and affectionate cat. It’s clear to me that someone really loved her dearly and provided all the proper socialization because she is simply a joy to be around.

It’s unfortunate that whoever had her before didn’t get her spayed and then found themselves overwhelmed with a litter they could not support or care for.

While it would have been preferable to have just taken them to the shelter, it’s fortunate that they knew enough to leave them with someone as responsible and gracious as Mary Anne.

Watching Snow care for her kittens is awe inspiring. It’s a marvel to see how naturally and instinctively she knows what they need, when they need it.

All I’ve really had to do is make sure she’s getting enough nutrition and hydration to keep up with a rigorous nursing schedule. She’s only 6-pounds, after all – so, having seven growing kits latched on to her can really take a toll on her little body.

Here is a little of what I’ve learned about this very special phase of development for these little demons.

Nursing kittens are hungry a lot!

Snow nursed her kittens frequently, especially during the first few weeks of life. Kittens have small stomachs, and their nutritional needs are met through frequent, short nursing sessions.

Right after giving birth, Snow started producing colostrum, a nutrient-rich, yellowish fluid that is secreted by the mammary glands. Colostrum is crucial for kittens as it contains antibodies that help protect them from infections and diseases during the early stages of life.

Moms are very supporting and encouraging

Kittens need stimulation to nurse, so Snow licks her kitten’s abdomen or genital area. This licking serves a dual purpose: it stimulates the kitten to urinate and defecate and also encourages them to latch onto her nipples. Since Snow hates a mess, she’s adept at keeping everything very clean and tidy during this process.

Fun, weird fact

Snow’s nipples are equipped with tiny barbs that help her kittens stay attached, even when she moves.

When mom is over it, she’s over it

As the kittens have grown, Snow gradually introduced them to solid food when she realized they are getting a bit too big (and their teeth are getting a bit too sharp) to continue nursing. At this point, all I had to do was give her wet food that has been watered down a bit more — and while she eats, she allows her babies to join her. This process usually begins around 3-4-weeks of age. She would even bring partially chewed food to the kittens or allow them to nibble on it.

At this point, at about 6-weeks-old, they are eating just fine on their own, and Snow’s milk has gradually dried up. Believe me, she’s thrilled about it.

But she still cuddles them, cleans them often and allows them to jump all over her like a jungle gym. When she needs a break, she comes out to the living room to hang out with us. It’s lovely.

Having them here has really brought a cozy, warm holiday spirit to our home in the most lovely and utterly chaotic way. Snow and her kits are so sweet, gentle and adorably social.

Which is nice, because the holidays tend to be a bit melancholy for me. I lost my own mother many, many years ago now — and having Snow around has reminded me of how grateful I am to have had a mother who raised me to be a kind, caring, and compassionate human. I miss her every day.

So this holiday season, I’m giving thanks for all the moms out there whose natural instincts always seem to know what we need, when we need it. I love you all. Happy Holidays!

As a child, Jack Hagerman founded and operated his own make-shift animal rescue — taking in stray cats, injured birds, and the occasional bunny. As an adult, he co-founded a critically endangered livestock conservancy on his farm in the Midwest, where he cared for and rehabilitated more than 400 animals in 17 different critically endangered livestock species. He formerly worked with Pasadena Humane and the Santa Fe Animal Shelter and Humane Society. When he isn’t working with animals, he’s writing about them — hoping to create a better world for our animal friends, one witty tangent at a time.