On March 22nd, 2018, when a lonely yet vocal kitty waltzed into a woman’s art studio after a horrid blizzard, the owner didn’t think much about it.
It was cold outside, and the little kitty just needed to get warm. The woman often fed homeless cats in her community, so she didn’t mind the unexpected guest. The kitty stuck around the studio for a little bit, more or less keeping to herself.
Then, out of nowhere, the cat suddenly dashed away— leaving a few “surprises” behind her…
Shortly after the cat had vanished, the owner of the art studio discovered two tiny, newborn kittens lying frozen and lifeless beneath a painting. Luckily, Hannah Shaw, a kitten rescuer known as “The Kitten Lady”, was just a few blocks away. And when the desperate owner called for help, Hannah rushed to the kittens’ aid.
The freezing cold kittens required cuddles and warmth before they could feed— and at only 4 hours old, the clock was ticking. Hannah worked to get the tiny babies to a normal body temperature, so they could begin feeding and hopefully make it through their rough start.
The kittens’ mother was in such a hurry after giving birth, she didn’t even clean her babies. So, Hannah also gently gave them loving “baths” with a soft toothbrush and damp, warm cloth.
Kitties’ tiny stomachs can have trouble processing full-strength formula, so once the babies were clean and warm, Hannah began feeding them one drop of diluted formula at a time. A slow and gentle regime is needed to give the kittens time to adjust to the milk, while also ensuring their blood sugar levels are kept steady and they don’t get dehydrated.
With high hopes, Hannah gave the babies proper names, Badger was the male of the siblings and Mink was the female. Weighing in at 91 grams and 71 grams respectively, they were quite tiny, even for newborn kittens.
Their first night was scary. The siblings cuddled up together in a temperature and humidity-controlled ICU incubator which provided the newborn kitties with the warmth and comfort they needed. But even with perfect care, tragedy can always strike.
Sadly, Mink’s second day of life came to a heartbreaking end. Despite proper and careful care, the little baby couldn’t beat her rough start, and she made her voyage over The Rainbow Bridge.
“She was warm and she was loved. She showed no signs of distress and passed suddenly, likely due to being premature and having congenital defects, or possibly due to sepsis which can occur in kittens who come from a background like hers,” Hannah wrote on her Instagram.
Hannah shared the kittens’ journey online and inspired a great number of her 600,000+ followers to adopt rescued cats in Minks honor— with many even naming their new family member Mink!
After the kittens’ birth, the Mama cat was also found and sterilized to prevent future pregnancies like these. When she was located, rescuers discovered she was still just a baby herself. She was young and scared and not even able to produce milk for her kittens. It’s no wonder she ran away, leaving them behind.
On this past April 1st, Badger recently turned 10 days old!
“I’m completely enamored with this little dude,” Hannah wrote on Instagram. “He’s doing great, but is definitely a late bloomer.”
“He’s the weight and size of a 10 day old, but has the look of a kitten half his age! Umbilical cord is still hanging on (usually falls off at 5 days) and eyes are still totally closed (usually start opening at 8-9 days).”
Badger and Mink’s story is a reminder of why situations like this occur.
Many abandoned kitties are not left behind by humans, but by their mothers. This is why animal advocates urge owners to fix all pet cats, whether they are allowed outside or not. Unfixed kitties create a vicious cycle of felines without loving homes or care— and spaying and neutering is an easy way to contribute in terms of prevention.
“I see a lot of comments like “what kind of person would abandon a kitten” so I’d like to make it very clear that it is not humans who are putting kittens outside—it’s cats.”
“80% of kittens born each year are born to outdoor community cats […] Please get active and #TNR the cats in your neighborhood to help prevent incidents like this.”
We are currently in the midst of kitten season which means shelters and fosters are flooded with pregnant mothers kittens. Let Mink and Badger’s story be a reminder to, please, spay and neuter your cats.
