Not all feline families manage to get adopted together—take Fifi, for example, a grey kitten who found a forever home after her mom.
However, the mother was then returned to Lewis County Humane Society in Glenfield, New York, but in an unexpected twist of fate, they were reunited.
Their story has recently gone viral on TikTok (@talesofwhist), racking up over 146,000 views.
Mandee Flanders, 36, who adopted Fifi back in December, told Newsweek how she recognized Fiona, the mother’s photo, when she was put back up for adoption.
She said: “My husband and I went to the shelter the same day I saw the post, which happened to be Valentine’s Day. We agreed to foster Fiona at first, to make sure both Fifi and my other cat, Whist, would accept her.
“Fifi spent the first week hissing at Fiona and avoiding her. Something seemed to click by the second week, and they became best friends. We agreed to make things official and adopted Fiona.”
Now, two months on, they are “inseparable,” as seen in the April 15 video, where they are cuddling.
Flanders added: “They are always together now! If we see one, we know the other isn’t far away. They like to nap in a pile on our couch during the day and sleep cuddled together at night.”
According to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), approximately 3.2 million cats are adopted from a shelter each year.
Flanders told Newsweek: “Not all cats are a good fit for every adoptive home, and that’s understandable. Fiona was said to get too overstimulated in her other home. Ultimately, I believe she ended up where she belonged in the end, which was with us.”
It’s clear the cats have a bond like no other, which isn’t uncommon for a mother and her offspring, as explained by pet expert Axel Lagercrantz.
He told Newsweek: “The instinct is an evolutionary one that in the wild is crucial for the survival and development of the kittens. When kittens are newborn and unable to fend for themselves, they rely upon their mother to fulfil all of their needs.
“In the wild, kittens will usually stay with their mother until the mother becomes pregnant again, when she will naturally begin to push them away in preparation for raising her new litter. If the mother doesn’t have any further litters, the kittens will begin to gradually draw away as they reach sexual maturity.”
Lagercrantz, the CEO of pet-rehoming platform Pets4Homes, said a mother cat’s responsibility is to keep her kittens safe and warm, protect them from predators, lick them and clean them, and lick their eyes to encourage them to open when the time is right.
As of now, the post has 31,800 likes and almost 600 comments.
“She’s holding her baby like she never wants to let go again,” said one user, and another wrote: “What a wonderful human you are to give them a second chance to be family.”
“I’m glad they were reunited. It makes me sad when the babies and mama get separated,” praised a third commenter.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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