Some tenants found an orange tabby and her babies in an empty rental apartment. They quickly called Langebaan Animal Care, in South Africa, for help. But unfortunately, the rescuers couldn’t save her newborn babies. The cat named Kathryn was taken in by Izelle Marallich, chairperson of Langebaan Animal Care, where she has been searching for the love she had lost and a family to call her own.
Image: IZELLE MARALLICH
“She was extremely affectionate and was not scared of any of my foster dogs — [she] walked right up to them and rubbed herself against every one of them,” Marallich told The Dodo. “She had to sleep with a person and hold on to you. It was like she could not get enough love.”
Image: IZELLE MARALLICH
Although the rescuers tried their best to ease Kathryn’s pain, she still mourned her past: “She was very restless, however, and would cry looking for her babies,” Marallich said, “which was heartbreaking.”
However, everything has changed since a litter of orphaned puppies arrived at the house. Immediately, Kathryn loved the puppies and formed a strong bond with them. Whenever they cried for food, Kathryn tried to soothe them by licking them.
Image: IZELLE MARALLICH
“They were a bit confused about it initially and would move away from her, but she was persistent and kept going to groom them,” Marallich said. “They started to get used to her licking them and she just lay down with them and didn’t leave their side at all.”
When Kathryn saw the orphaned pups, a mother’s instinct was kicked off. She dedicated all her time to taking care of her adopted puppies. She groomed them, slept with them and raised them as her own. The puppies quickly grew accustomed to Kathryn, and the bond between them is so strong.
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“She stopped being restless and crying and just slept day and night with them,” Marallich said. “[She] even ate the puppy food we gave them. They were happy and she was happy!”
“She is very protective over them and got very restless when they wandered out [of] the playpen and away from her,” Marallich said. “She would follow them and call them the whole time and was only happy once they were back with her.”
“I have never seen such a dedicated and loving mommy,” Marallich added. “She never left their side day and night!”
After the puppies found their forever homes, Kathryn looked after a pair of orphaned kittens found abandoned in a field and gave them a loving family. “She has got a lot of people interested in adopting her, but for now, she will remain with us and continue being a loving and caring mom to orphaned animals,” Marallich said.
Image: IZELLE MARALLICH
Kathryn is a wonderful mother with a heart of gold and the perfect mothering instincts. She even proves that a mother’s love knows no boundaries. If you love this story, please share it with your friends and family members to make their day better!
H/T: The Dodo