9 kittens and their momma found dumped under a dumpster in freezing weather, are offered shelter by a cat-loving couple, who take care of them until every last one finds a home: 'Momma was so tired from the constant nursing'

Author image for Mariel Ruvinsky
Mariel Ruvinsky • Writer and Editor
Sep 11, 2026 2:15 PM EDT

Dumping a new cat mom with her 9 babies out in freezing weather is simply cruel. 

Being a new cat mom is hard enough. Litters are rarely just one baby. Far more often than not, these new moms have many mouths to feed and wiggling fluffballs to keep in line. We see it in our everyday lives. If you've ever adopted or fostered a cat who had just given birth, you know these mommas need breaks. These mommas bring their babies to you to take over babysitting duties. Because motherhood is hard in every species. It's the greatest challenge there is. Being with a human makes the whole thing so much easier… if that human is a kind one. 

The family in this story was dumped by a not-so-kind human. This momma cat was sweet, gentle. She didn't deserve to be taken out of the warm home that she was in with her nine babies in her paws and dumped under a dumpster in freezing weather. No cat would deserve this, of course, but especially not one who had already been taken off the street once. She was strong though. She kept her babies alive and as healthy as she could until she was found. And when she was finally found for the second time, she was found by actual good people. 

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  • 01

    "We found this momma and 9 kittens abandoned at my work yesterday"

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    These were found at my work, under a dumpster, it was cold, 29°, and damp and had been since the weekend.
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    I'm pretty sure they were dumped there because it's a good ways from the closest homes and I can't see the momma kitty dragging 9 kittens a quarter mile to a dumpster they can't even get into, it just holds construction d ebris from an open top.
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    Besides, they were all clean and free from any fleas, mites or anything like that. No one could take all of them so I volunteered because I didn't want them taken to any place but a home.
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    Me and my wife have 4 rescue cats of our own, and we keep them all separated from this new batch. Most of these have already been spoken for from work friends and family, and we'll keep the little fuzzy void. They'll be going to the vet soon for their checkups.
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    The kittens are nearly weaned, already eating some dry kibble and wet food, and they've been drinking a healthy amount of water. They all use the litter box very well. They should be ready for their new homes in a couple of weeks.
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    Momma kitty is very docile and takes very good care of the kittens, another reason I think they were dumped, she's never hissed at anyone a single time. Plus, feral cats won't just make themselves at home and hop in your lap anytime you come to visit them.
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  • We wish people would stop doing this. We have said it one million times before, and we will continue to say it until the end of time: there are much, much better solutions than dumping cats on the street to fend for themselves. Try to find the cats you don't want a different home - with kittens, this is especially easy. We're sure that if the person who dumped them had tried, they would have succeeded. And if not that, then take them to a shelter or to a vet, or anywhere, really. Just don't leave them alone. 

  • 14
    The last 2 photos, the first one is the bed I made for the momma so she could get some rest from the kitties and it's up a little ways, that's 10 minutes after I fed them after getting them home.
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  • This poor momma cat did such a good job with her babies, alone with no help. If she had been just a little bit weaker, then all of them, including her, would have likely suffered a much worse fate. 

  • 15
    She was so tired from the constant nursing she was doing to keep the kitties in good health. The second picture is from a few minutes before I made this post, just momma and 2 of the babies just relaxing and enjoying the warmth and full bellies.
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    ***Update: All of the kittens, and the momma, have found good homes. 2 individuals took 2 kittens each and one person took 3 but 1 of those was going with her best friend that picked hers out over FaceTime.
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  • 17
    The lady I work with that wanted the momma from the day they were found did in fact take her. We ended up keeping one of the female tabbies to add to our own group, and if you're keeping count with the 8 above, the last one went to another coworker.
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    Everyone that I see at work that took one or more of the kittens all say how well behaved they are and that they're also very affectionate, which is exactly how the mother is.
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    When they were taken to the vet about 2 weeks ago, he felt that given where they were with their size and growth that they were about 12 weeks old, meaning they would've been about 10 weeks old when we found them.
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    When checked, they all weighed between 2.2-3.5 pounds, all tested negative for feline leukemia and had no worms and were flea free.
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    The vet felt they were a little under-sized but said that with a litter of 9 kittens and a young momma cat that's lean herself, it was fairly normal and had no. concerns.
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