Joanna Street’s brother had seen a person stop his car and put some small animals out on the side of the road, but when he went to look, the animals had gone into hiding.
For almost a week Joanna’s family looked, hoping to rescue whatever had been abandoned. Finally they found a cat and three kittens in a nearby barn. All of them were in pitiful condition, very thin with matted eyes and runny noses. The Humane society paid for their initial vet visit and Joanna borrowed a large cage to accommodate the little family while she medicated, fed, and cared for them during their first week of recovery.
The following week they improved every day so Joanna knew it was time to take them back to Rutherford Veterinary Hospital for checkup, shots, and deworming. If they were well enough, she had four homes lined up for them.
Dr. Michelle Toms-Greene was happy to see the cat and kittens looking so well after their course of antibiotics and week of being warm and well fed. They were all easy to handle despite the ordeal they had been through. As she began to examine the momma, she made a discovery that had the whole office laughing. This cat who took care of three kittens during the cold week of abandonment was a young male! He had somehow kept those kittens alive and protected even though he had not been able to nurse them. He had had a powerful nurturing instinct that made him perfectly suited for his new name: MommaDaddy.
MommaDaddy was adopted by the people who owned the barn where the cats were originally discovered. He has become a treasured member of the family. He sits on the man’s shoulder to watch TV every night! The Humane Society’s Stray and Feral Program covered the cost of surgery and Joanna took responsibility for getting all the cats to the vet for their spay/neuter appointments. She herself adopted the kitten she named Moogle, who rules the roost at Joanna’s house and keeps them all laughing at her antics.
There is a lesson for us all in the story of MommaDaddy. This little cat reached beyond his natural inclinations and abilities to somehow become protector and nurturer, even though he himself was not full grown. How I wish we could have seen what he did that week to preserve these kittens he found entrusted to his care. And the lesson for us? Shouldn’t we be prepared to protect and nurture the companion animals that have been cast on the wayside and need our intervention to preserve their lives? They are entrusted to our care.
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Joanna adopted one of the kittens. She writes: "Kittens and Christmas trees DO go together! She is being a good baby. Only tried to take off one ornament. She likes to look at the lights."