Wounded Cat With Debilitating Disease Asks Humans For Help And Risks Life To Protect Her Babies

Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor

Jun 20, 2022 7:00 PM EDT

Mothers have a natural protective feeling for their babies. Although this may be universally understood, a mother cat from Hawaii completely redefines the concept.

In late 2021, a woman began seeing a black cat with kittens in her backyard, wandering from neighbor to neighbor in an area near one of the many military bases on the island of Oahu, Hawaii. The mother cat kept her distance from humans, but the woman kept an eye on them.

Story written by Alex Lemieux.

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via Rescue Kitties of Hawaii

After a few days, the mother cat came closer to her, with four little furballs in tow. However, the woman could then view just a part of the tragic state of the mother of four. She had large open wounds on her underbelly.
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via Rescue Kitties of Hawaii

The woman quickly contacted Maraya, owner and founder of Rescue Kitties of Hawaii, and explained the situation.
"There's a cat with babies, and she looks really wounded," the woman said. "It looked like the skin was peeled off of her stomach."
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via Rescue Kitties of Hawaii

"We need to get her to the vet," replied Maraya. That began the days-long effort of attempting to persuade the mother to come close enough so they could get her and her kittens the care they needed.
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via Rescue Kitties of Hawaii

As the cat got closer to the woman's house, they saw large open wounds around her nipples. Yet, she continued to feed her kittens and keep them going. Not long afterward, however, the mother cat, according to Maraya, "literally brought her babies up to this woman's back porch and just flopped down like 'help me.'"
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via Rescue Kitties of Hawaii

"Mamma Nala," they dubbed her, didn't fight when they coaxed her into a carrier, and she was immediately rushed to a PetVet Animal Hospital. When the vet checked the mother cat and kittens upon arrival, Maraya was told it was "one of the worst cases of aggressive cancer" they had ever seen. The progressive disease had eaten away the inside her mouth, jaw, face, and stomach. She couldn't eat or drink, and all around her nipples, the skin was raw flesh, but she persisted in feeding her infants.
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via Rescue Kitties of Hawaii

"We're all crying, just blown away at this dedication and unbelievable protective mamma that did not give up on her babies," Maraya said. "We see cats run away all the time or abandon their babies because they're young and they don't know. If they're in pain, they don't know how to stay."
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via Rescue Kitties of Hawaii

"We don't know if she was dumped or feral; she was just very scared," she added. "This mamma never left her babies." Every effort will be made to save the momma cat, but already, she's a hero worthy of remembrance.

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