A social-media video that chronicles how a female cat and her surviving kittens were rescued from a high-kill shelter—where they had been taken after the mom was found giving birth under a car on a roadside—has stunned viewers across the internet.
The viral video, which has been viewed more than 2 million times since it was first shared by @erins_fosters to Instagram on January 31, introduced internet users to the frail cat, her kittens and their distressing story.
"She gave birth under a car the other day in the cold rain and was bought to a high kill shelter. Two babies already didn't make it," the cat's rescuer, Erin Berger, shared in the post. She regularly rescues animals in Houston, Texas, and posts her success stories online to her 104,000 followers.
"This sweet mommy ended up at the shelter. We had to get her out of the shelter by noon, so I'm going to quickly get them home and get them taken care of," Berger added.
Viewers were shown footage of the rescued cat sitting in a makeshift crate while traveling back home with Berger. Then, the kittens, who were covered in fleas, were seen huddled together in a warm blanket.
"She was so good and calm during the calm ride," Berger said.
"The kittens are so cold, I'm not sure if they're going to make it. Situations like this happen every day and so many animals die because of it. This is why spaying and neutering is so important," she added.
Berger went on to share that she would be getting the kittens into a heating pad, in hopes to warm them up and spike their blood sugar. The animal rescuer also poured a little warm sugar water into the babies' mouths.
The cat mom looked on concerned, as Berger raced to save her kittens' lives. Berger wrote under the post that one of the kittens sadly didn't survive the tense hour, leaving just one baby left.
The post has been captioned: "Welcome Mommy Rue and her kittens. One of the babies only lived about an hour after I got home, but the remaining baby is a fighter! Their story is the perfect example of why spaying and neutering is so important. Otherwise, innocent families like this die on the streets and in shelters."
What Do the Comments Say?
Since it had been shared to the social-media platform, the Instagram post has been liked by over 221,000 users. Plenty of viewers have voiced their heartbreak in the post's comments section.
"So glad they are safe," one user wrote.
"The worry in the poor mama's eyes," another added.
A third user shared: "She's concerned."
"Sweet babies. Thank you for helping them," a fourth commented.
Newsweek reached out to @erins_fosters for more information via Instagram.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Melissa Fleur Afshar is a Newsweek Life and Trends Reporter based in London, United Kingdom.
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