Mother cat perseveres until her kittens can be rescued

By Amy Campanini CONTRIBUTOR

“No language can express the power, and beauty, and heroism, and majesty of a mother’s love.”

– Edwin Hubbell Chapin

When a mother cat is brought to Palmetto Animal League with tiny kittens, our team stands ready to provide whatever care is needed. When Karam and her two kittens arrived at PAL, we had our work cut out for us.

“A good Samaritan brought them to PAL because she thought Karam was bleeding, but what appeared to be blood was actually a bundle of flea dirt,” said PAL Foster Coordinator Sally Dawkins. “The kittens were riddled with fleas to the point we were worried about them surviving.”

Despite her dreadful condition upon arrival, Karam was very sweet to our veterinary staff during her initial exam.

“Karam has definitely been an outdoor cat for some time,” said Dawkins. “But she has allowed us to help her with her babies, which is incredibly gracious of her, considering what she’s been through.”

Our team handpicked fleas off mom and kittens because they were too young to receive flea baths. And we are happy to say both kittens survived, thanks in large part to their brave and devoted mother.

“Karam has been a great mom, all while dealing with serious medical issues of her own,” said Dawkins. “We don’t know if she was born without teeth or if someone removed them.”

At some point, Karam also sustained a large wound that healed poorly over time, leaving a large scar on her back as a reminder of her dreadful past.

“It’s certainly sad to look at,” said Dawkins.

“We suspect the scar may have been caused by a burn. We’ll never know if perhaps she was burned by oil underneath a car, or if someone maliciously burned her.”

We can tell how thankful Karam is to be at PAL, where she is finally safe. She has lived a rough life, but she never gave up on caring for her kittens. Her will to survive and protect her babies exemplifies the inexplicable power of a mother’s love.

Karam’s kittens will be ready for adoption at the end of May. But don’t forget about Mama! She deserves a home too.

Visit the PAL Adoption Center, 56 Riverwalk Blvd. in Okatie, Monday through Saturday from noon to 6 p.m. to meet our adoptable pets. All pets are spayed/neutered, microchipped, and up to date on vaccinations.

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