Mother animals have such great maternal instincts. They will show love and affection to babies who need their care — even if they’re not their own biological offspring.
And sometimes, the sweetest bonds are formed after heartbreak: when a mother animal loses her own children, sometimes she’ll find an orphaned baby to care for, both mother and child completing one another.
That was the beautiful case for one cat who lost her litter, only to by fate find a kitten in need of a mom.
According to the Atlanta Humane Society, mama cat Ember lost her entire litter of newborn kittens. Making things even more tragic, it was just a week before Mother’s Day.
The shelter says she was devastated by the loss, and came to the shelter for a “second chance.” And by a miraculous coincidence, she got one.
Shortly after Ember arrived at the shelter, they also took in a tiny orphaned kitten named Flame. “He weighed half of what he should have and was desperately in need of someone to step up and care for him,” the Atlanta Humane Society wrote.
It turned out to be a match made in heaven: Ember needed a baby to care for and Flame needed a mom, and naturally they hit it off right away.
Ember became a mother to Flame, grooming him and protecting him. “The two cuddled up with each other and were immediately inseparable,” the humane society wrote.
“When Mama Ember first saw Flame, you could tell she was immediately in love,” Christina Hill of the Atlanta Humane Society told Love Meow. “She started snuggling him, cleaning him, and encouraging him to feed. It was absolutely adorable.”
Their bond continued to grow. The humane society wrote that they were “healing together — emotionally and physically.” As much as Flame needed a mom for survival, she needed him to help her overcome her loss.
The rescue wrote that the two even got to celebrate Mother’s Day together. They were placed in a foster home to continue their loving bond.
“Flame is currently learning how to wobble around his foster home and Ember keeps a close eye on him,” Christina told Love Meow. “We’re so happy these two are together in time for Mother’s Day.”
“They clearly needed each other,” foster mom Robyn Faintich told People.
Soon the cats were put up for adoption, and since they were a bonded pair, the humane society searched for a family who would adopt them together.
Foster Kitten Capers, a Facebook page following the Atlanta Humane Society’s foster kittens, continued to update followers about their story. While Ember and Flame had some ups and downs over the next few months in what they called a “rollercoaster,” things worked out in the end.
Six months after Ember and Flame first bonded, they got adopted together. In November, Foster Kitten Capers reported that Flame had been adopted, and then the adopters went back and adopted Ember.
What a sweet bond. We know Ember and Flame saved each other’s lives, and we’re so glad they found each other and got adopted together.
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