Isabella, a small tabby feline, has an enormous capacity for love. Her humble abode in New York is shared with two other cats who coincidentally gave birth to litters around the same time. Unfortunately, two of the mother cats were unable to nurse their young, leaving Isabella to step in and care for a total of 14 kittens who required special attention.

The cat owner displayed extreme irresponsibility by allowing unsterilized cats to roam the streets. He was in a state of panic upon realising that he not only had three cats but also a litter of kittens in his house. He quickly took action and sent Isabella and her 14 kittens to an animal shelter. However, city animal shelters are not ideal for small kittens as there is a high chance of them being euthanized due to a lack of resources. Fortunately, Best Friends Animal Society stepped in and took in Isabella and her kittens to ensure their safety.

Upon first sight of Isabella, we were taken aback by her petite size, almost resembling that of a kitten. She appeared incredibly fatigued, parched and completely depleted from tirelessly nurturing 14 kittens whom she never once left behind. According to the organizers at Best Friends Animal Society shelter, despite her weariness, Isabella displayed a warm and loving demeanor, even purring contently when given affectionate pets.

Though Isabella had a lot on her plate, she managed to keep all of her kittens in good health and well-groomed. After being taken to a private shelter, she was given the freedom from her overwhelming burden, and kind volunteers stepped in to help care for her babies. The feline momma is also receiving treatment for dehydration, which is great news. We decided to separate four larger kittens from the group, who were likely related to Isabella and were old enough to eat on their own. Two more kittens found a home with our “orphanage” volunteers, leaving Isabella with eight little ones to look after.

The shelter staff still vividly remembers Isabella’s appearance when she first arrived at their facility. She was surrounded by 14 tiny, always-hungry kittens, and looked like a tired mother in desperate need of rest. Their image of her will never fade from memory.