Mama cat didn’t look like she would survive after birthing stillborn — then animal rescue called with a life-saving request

The loss of a pet’s newborn can be just as heartbreaking for the animal as it is for the owner. A recent story shared by TikTok user who goes by the handle @nezbah, and reported by Newsweek, captures one such emotional journey of a grieving cat. What started as a sad and uncertain situation turned into a touching display of healing and new beginnings. The story begins with a long labor, a devastating outcome of a stillborn baby, and a depressed cat who seemed to lose the will to go on.

According to the owner, her Burmese cat was in labor for 24 hours and gave birth to a stillborn kitten. The loss affected both her and her pet deeply. The mourning mama cat stopped eating, stopped grooming herself, and seemed to be fading fast. “I thought I would lose her,” she wrote in her video. In an effort to comfort the grieving cat, the owner introduced her to a teenage rescue cat. The mother cat accepted the new feline but only showed mild interest. Then, something unexpected happened. An animal rescue organization reached out about a 2-day-old orphaned kitten who urgently needed care. Without hesitation, the owner agreed to take in the newborn, hoping it would bring life back to her heartbroken cat.

As soon as the tiny kitten arrived, the grieving cat’s mood changed. Although the baby didn’t look anything like her, she immediately accepted her as her own. “She has a baby! She loves her baby and is once again a vigorous kitty,” the owner shared through the video’s onscreen texts. The cat started eating again, grooming herself, and proudly showing off her adopted kitten to the rest of the household. According to the owner, the mother cat has now returned to full health and happiness. The kitten, described as “huge, healthy, and happy,” will be available for adoption after her spay surgery later this year. She has already bonded with another rescue cat and will soon meet the dogs and children in the home.

Countless internet users were moved by the emotional story and filled the comment section with warm messages. @captain.lizard2 exclaimed, "I can't understand why so many people think cats are heartless when this happens to so many mama cats. So happy mama and baby are doing well together." @pammy9590 shared, "I adopted a 10-month-old cat from my shelter. She had a stillborn baby. She wasn’t right. Every fuzzy toy was her baby. A year later, I adopted a 12-week-old kitten. My Delta became her momma. It’s a love story." @michelle_scarberry wrote, "They saved each other." 

This also isn't the first time a new mother has nurtured a baby that was not her own. In another beautiful adoption story, a Golden Retriever named Isabella became a surrogate mother to three white tiger cubs after their real mother abandoned them just 15 hours after birth. At Safari Zoological Park in Kansas, Isabella naturally accepted the cubs, nursing and caring for them as if they were her own, touching hearts everywhere.

For more endearing cat content, follow @nezbah on TikTok.