Tears As Pregnant Cat Is Rescued so She Can Have Her Kittens in a Safe Home

A video of a couple rescuing a pregnant stray cat, who gave birth that evening, has gone viral on TikTok with over 2.9 million views.

In the video, user Dabrielle Joy explains that they found the tabby cat they have named Mini, "beat up, malnourished, pregnant...and decided to take her home" The video shows Mini making herself comfortable on Dabrielle's bed while the text explains, "at 2:20 am, she woke me up and gave birth to her first baby in my bed."

Mini had nine kittens, but sadly only six survived. "As her babies grew, her bald spots began to fill with fur and she started to gain weight," the text reads, as the footage shows Mini playing with her kittens. "She now has a forever home and will never spend another night outside alone," it adds.

An update reads: "I worked with a rescue to get mama and all of her babies spayed/neutered. They were all adopted and mama was adopted by my friend's parents".

One user commented: "Female strays and feral cats have such difficult lives. It's so great you're helping her." Another said: "This is so humbling".

Like most animals, cats are adept at giving birth on their own, however, they may sometimes experience complications and need some help. These complications can prove fatal for homeless cats, and sadly, the internet is full of videos of stray, lonely kittens.

VCA Hospitals recommend calling a vet if twenty minutes of intense labor has not produced a kitten as it could be an indication that the cat is experiencing dystocia or a difficult birth. Other signs include:

• Ten minutes of intense labor does not expel a kitten that can be seen at the queen's vulva.
• Gentle pulling on a trapped fetus causes the queen pain.
• The queen is depressed, lethargic, or has a fever (rectal temperature greater than 103°F or 39.4°C).

Tragically, sometimes kittens are born non-responsive, and you may need to attempt to revive them. VCA Hospitals advise you first, "tear the membranes from the nose, wipe the nose, open the mouth, tilt the kitten's head down, and clear away any fluids. If the umbilical cord has not broken on delivery, tear it an inch from the kitten and remove the bulk of the membranes."

You may need to clear the kittens' airways if they are not breathing. If they are breathing, their tongue will be pink, if not, it will have a bluish tint. "Next", they say, "stimulate breathing by briskly stroking and rubbing the kitten with a clean, dry towel. If the kitten begins regular breathing, continue to dry it off briskly with the towel. If it is not breathing, some further form of artificial respiration may be necessary. Mouth to mouth resuscitation is probably the most useful if carried out carefully."

Always remember never to blow down during mouth-to-mouth, and also that a kitten's lungs are much smaller than a human's, so little breaths will do, says VCA Hospitals.

Newsweek reached out to Dabrielle Joy via Facebook for comment.

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