You’re going to relish this tale of two mother cats who are raising their kittens together as one big happy family of stripes and whiskers.
Living together in their Nashville, TN, feral cat colony, Pickle and Olive are the best of friends. The family who cared for their colony became friendly with the ladies and noticed their bonded friendship. They also realized both Pickle and Olive were pregnant.
The family got in touch with the Nashville Cat Rescue to get the cats the extra care their pregnancies demanded. Speaking with Love Meow, Kiki, a foster volunteer with the rescue, shared the family had one request, “that the girls stay together, even when it was time for them to be adopted.”
Taking the ladies in, Kiki saw right away the bond between Pickle and Olive, writing on Instagram, “The only time I have seen a love this pure is in The Lion King with Nala & Simba.”
Bonded Best Friends Having Babies
As feral cats, the tabby girls were a bit standoffish at first, but having each other helped. Kiki told Love Meow, “It was clear that the girls loved each other and felt safe together. I spent as much time as I could with them, while still respecting their need for space.”
Though she gave Pickle and Olive their cat time, Kiki kept up her work socializing with the cats, ensuring “as babies came that they were comfortable with me assisting as needed, or just doing the simple necessities like weighing the kittens on a daily basis.”
Though cats often take a while to warm up to new ideas, Pickle soon decided Kiki was alright, even allowing some pets. Pickle was soon a fan of Kiki’s attention and, since her best friend was alright with it, Olive came around for some love too.
“If I was petting on Pickle, Olive would come in for some love.”
Beautiful Baby Kittens
The days passed, and the bellies kept growing. Kiki even noticed that Olive’s belly “sure looks like the shape of an olive.”
So, it was no surprise to wake one morning and find one of the ladies nuzzling on newborn kittens. Pickle had given birth to six kittens!
Sadly, one passed away, but Pickle took to motherhood right away, nurturing the 5 survivors. Between Kiki and BFF Olive, Pickle had the strongest of support systems.
“While Pickle was doing the mommy things, Olive would try to still brush up against her in the playpen.”
“After about a week, I kept seeing Olive inside the playpen hanging out with the babies. She started to care for them like they were her own and interestingly became a little protective over them as I tried to weight them.”
Not long after, Kiki woke to a repeated scene, but this time it was Olive in labor, and she had already birthed one kitten. After 24 hours of labor, Olive gave birth to her second kitten, but Kiki knew something was wrong. Her instincts were right.
“I took her to the vet to ensure everything was okay. She had to go in for an emergency c-section, which ultimately saved her life.”
In the end, Olive lost one of the babies, but was mom to two healthy kitten boys.
And suddenly, best friends Pickle and Olive had become a family of nine!
Two Moms and their Darling Kittens
“Pickle and Olive are such a joy to watch and their kittens are undeniably cute. They swap babies and care for each other’s like they were their own.”
Kiki posted pictures of the family on Instagram, sharing the sweetest shot of the kittens and welcoming fans to “the milk valley.” The happiest place for a kitten to be!
“Pickle has five girls and Olive has two little boys. I call them cousin sisters and cousin brothers. They are growing so much every day, and Pickle and Olive have become more and more trusting.”
And after their kittens are weaned, both Pickle and Olive will be spayed. They won’t have to worry over any more litters or the risks that come with bringing kittens into the world, giving them a chance to live in a happy forever home where they can be best friends for life!
H/T: www.lovemeow.com
Feature Image: @kittenitwithkiki/Instagram