“I’m so happy I didn’t give up on them”: How three feral kittens survived subzero temperatures and fear of humans to become the sweetest lap pets a first-time rescuer could hope for

Author image for Laurent Shinar
Laurent Shinar • Writer and Editor
Jul 28, 2025 4:00 PM EDT

Life in the wild is tough to say the least. There are no emergency services, no safe spaces, no respite from the elements. It is just you doing your thing, hanging on for dear life. And much like it did for this family of kittens things got a whole lot more rough before they got better.

Problem was, they were feral, which if you know, you know, how hard it is to get feral cats to understand that they are safe under your care. Heck, it is hard enough to get a house cat to appreciate that most of the time you know better than them. But this heroic rescuer did not give up on her kittens for a moment, even waiting until the last possible moment for their momma to return and take them to safety herself. Not all heroes wear capes, some live in Michigan, but we do not know what they wear in Michigan…
 

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    Hello fellow cat heroes! I have a heartwarming story about three feral kittens that I'm hoping brightens your day.
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    October 8 2024, i noticed a mama cat nursing some baby kittens in the yard next to ours. When I called to her six babies became known and i was gushing at how adorable and tiny they were. I
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    wasnt able to get near them because they all would run and hide immediately. Fast forward to the end of October and
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    I was only seeing the mom with three of the kittens anymore - i still dont know what happened to the other three sadly.
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    We live in Michigan and I knew this was going to be a rough situation. Three baby kittens trying to survive in the snow and cold for three or four months :(
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    Hisense Google TV 65°1
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  • Oh noooooo, how is this story getting sad already? We were just enjoying the idea of someone being causal neighbors to six kittens and their momma and now we are looking at three and a cold harsh winter coming up ahead?! Where is the Disney magic moment we were promised?

  • 08
    I decided even though Ive never owned a cat before, that I wanted to try and help them. I bought a little outdoor heated cat house, and i started
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    feeding them wet kitten food twice a day every day. The mom and the babies started sleeping in the cat house and all was going pretty well.
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    In January, i noticed the mom had stopped returning to the cat house and she wasnt with her babies anymore which made me worried for them. And then right after
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    new years day, one of the kittens went into our neighbors yard and was attacked and tossed around by three german shepherds. This instantly broke my heart because i was trying to keep them
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    safe and alive, i was in love with them at this point.
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  • Oh good gosh, please tell us that at least this poor naive kitten made it through her harrowing encounter with the beasts that live next door? This is like the scary part in every Disney movie that you watch through your fingers and wait for it to be over so the nice stuff comes back again. 

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    The kitten was still alive (the white one pictured), and my husband and i were determined to catch at least that one and get him to the vet.
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    Unfortunately he is crafty and FAST and we werent able to snatch him Up. I was able to see when he would eat that although he was I, he didnt seem to have any life threatening injuries or broken bones.
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    About three weeks later, we had a very very cold few days here. The temperatures were consistently below zero, and at night were lingering around -15F. I
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    decided i couldnt let them made a plan to catch outside and we them one evening. We waited until I thought all three babies were in their cat house, and we slipped a flat piece of cardboard in front of the door. We
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    then carried the entire cat house with them inside of it to our basement! At first they were afraid of what was going on, but they all instantly used a
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    litter box and on the third or fourth day they started to act like kittens together, playing, running, ripping up paper bags - the fun stuff.
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    Fast forward to now. It is April, they all just had their first vet visit and they all are entirely healthy! The kitten who got attacked is apparently just insanely lucky. Two boys and one lady. Our
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    lady kitten just got spayed on Thursday, and she has been the most skiddish this whole time, when she was outdoors she wouldnt let me near her to pet her or even to feed her. She has
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    20 ne
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    blossomed so much since being outdoors. She loves getting pets and she purrs sooo loud every time she sees me
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    We have to keep her in our spare bedroom separate from the boys for two weeks while she heals from surgery and this alone time has made her the SWEETEST lovebug ever. She sits at
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    the door and meows for me and when i enter she wants to just sit in my lap and sleep or purr like a little sweetheart. I love them all
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    This is just a post to tell anyone put there trying to tame a feral cat or kitten - dont give up! They will recognize your love and that you are the safe space. Im so happy i didnt give up on them. Now we have three happy healthy friendly kittens
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lap fear pets SO HAPPY give up humans didnt sweet cat rescue survive feral temperature cute kittens
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