How many kittens can one mama cat have, anyway? Well, the world record is 19, although four were stillborn. And did you know that one litter of kittens may actually come from many different fathers? Yep, cats can quickly create their own zip code they populate so fast! But until they are all spayed and neutered, rescuers keep on trying to save as many lives as pawsible. Recently, a pop star took in a tabby mama cat who was also ready to pop in quite a different way!
Mama Kitty is Ready to Pop!
When Manda Malina isn’t performing as a Swedish pop sensation, she and her spouse, Elena, are rescuing animals. That means all sorts of critters: a duckling, a pig, baby goats, and over 25+ cats!
One of the cats, a mama named Honey, brought a veritable community of cats with her inside her furry spotted belly! Or, as Malina called it, “a whole soccer team!”
“We got asked to take in a pregnant stray cat that a man found at his factory, and we had no idea this would happen!” shared Manda Malina.
As you can see, Honey was gigantic, with a belly looking ready to pop at any moment!
“She was HUGE, but we were happy to give her a safe space to give birth in,” she continued.
Considering Honey’s condition, her new foster family knew she’d have a large litter. But little did they know that this cat’s progeny was about to take over the place! Leading up to the birth, they gave Honey “gentle tummy massages to ease her discomfort.” It must have helped because she soon gave birth to 12 kittens, 8 of which survived.
“She’s such a good momma. Imagine giving birth to 12 kids!” she wrote.
See more in the TikTok below:
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Videos via TikTok/Manda Malina
Can Honey Care for All Her Babies?
With so many kittens, how could the friendly mama nourish them all? Even if she were in tip-top health before the pregnancy, it would surely put a strain on her body. That’s why the pop star stepped in to give her help, syringe and bottle-feeding the kittens and returning them to the crowded Honey Milk Bar.
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“Every two hours, we make sure [the kittens] get milk via a syringe. Some of them are latching; some of them aren’t. But she definitely needs our help because we don’t think she has enough milk. And, she also needs a break. So, we don’t sleep much, but it’s ok because they really need our help,” Malina said.
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Video via TikTok/Manda Malina
Ready to Pop Off to a New Life!
Safe in their loving home, the tabbies grew up so fast! They all became the cutest tiny replicas of their tabby mama. At 10 days, old, one of the kittens got a visit from the “eyeball fairy.”
“10 days old! ” shared Malina on Instagram.
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Video via Instagram/Manda Malina
It wouldn’t be long before all the kittens would be ready to pop off to a new life! But first, all will be spayed and neutered. Thanks to the foster family, all will go to loving homes, and that’s the best fate any cat could hope for.
You can see more on Manda Malina’s TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.