Feral cat Ricky wanted nothing to do with the humans that took her and her kittens in. However, she softened up once she realized that her kittens were in safe hands.
Salty Animal Rescue Cofounder Karly Saltarski got a phone call from a homeowner who had a feral cat in her garage that gave birth to kittens.
Being feral, this cat wasn’t going to come willingly. So, they all had to be trapped. But mom stashed some of her kitties in a roof area.
On the inside
Eventually, the kittens were found. Mom and her two babies were taken into a home where they would have ample food and a comfy shelter.
Ricky wasn’t used to this at all, however. She was terrified of the humans around her and would stay in her nest area with her kitten tucked under her belly.
She would sit far in the corner and refuse to make eye contact with her humans. She’d hiss when anyone would come close.
Ricky wasn’t about to let anything bad happen to her children. Ricky isn’t an aggressive cat by any means but was going to protect her kittens, Bubble and Julian, at all costs.
Since she had never been around humans before, she didn’t know if she could trust them. Saltarski made sure to give Ricky her space while still taking care of the family the best she could by bringing in fresh food and water.
But once the kittens were able to walk, they started to gravitate toward Saltarski. They would shuffle over to her for some affection.
Bubbles and Julian
That’s when Ricky started to trust Saltarski. Ricky slowly started to allow Saltarski to pet her. She would eventually dip her whole head into Saltarski’s hand for some ear scratches.
“The progress she’s made is huge. This means she will get to live a happy life as a house kitty,” Saltarski told Love Meow.
In the meantime, Ricky has been an incredible mother to her kitten, always cleaning them and ensuring they are well-fed.
Bubbles and Julian have grown enough so that their individual personalities are shining through. Bubbles is a bit bigger than Julian and likes to cause a little good trouble.
Julian just follows his brother’s lead mostly. Now that Bubble and Julian spend more time roughhousing and playing, Ricky gets to get some me-time as an indoor cat.
“With all the hard times that come with rescue, moments like this keep us going,” Saltarski said.
Once the boys are old enough to be placed for adoption, the entire family will start looking for their forever homes.