When Jania got the call for a cat rescue mission, she had no idea she’d face a fiercely protective feral cat mom.
This kitty was so protective of her babies that Jania’s rescue team barely made it out alive. Literally! Check out the full story below!
Jania and her team Cats of San Bernardino have been rescuing kitties in need in this sunny city in California for more than five years.
Even though they’ve seen it all, from timid to downright angry cats, meeting Creekside, the star of today’s story and a mom of 5 kittens, was a unique challenge. Jania even described her as “the fiercest feral” she’d ever seen.
Creekside was first spotted in a raised flower bed with her kittens. She bolted under a car as soon as she saw the rescuers.
The team carefully gathered the kittens, knowing they couldn’t leave Creekside behind, especially since the kittens were only a day old.
Luckily, being a good mom, Creekside quickly returned for her little ones.
Jania, an expert in cat trapping, came up with a plan:
“We set up a drop trap to watch over from afar and then trigger with a rope, and we put only one of her babies in there so he would meow for her.”
At first, Creekside was right beside the trap but didn’t go in. Until eventually she did – and was trapped!
The next day, Jania reunited Creekside with her kittens. Unaware of how spicy the mama was, Jania came near, attempting to film a short video of the happy family.
She slowly opened their cage, but what happened next was something Jania definitely didn’t anticipate: Creekside knocked the phone right out of her hands. Take a look!
Believe it or not, Jania and her team had to get creative, using kitchen utensils to safely handle the kittens – that’s how feisty Creekside was! Jania shared:
“Creekside was so feisty we actually had to have a big ladle and basically go in and scoop the kittens up, and get them over to the scale, weigh them, make sure they’re doing OK, and then put them back in with her.”
Sadly, three kittens didn’t survive. But the other two, Pebbles and Fern, turned out to be some of the sweetest cats the San Bernardino team had ever rescued. Once old enough, they were sent to foster homes.
Creekside, however, remained distant. Despite efforts, she didn’t warm up to humans, signaling she needed more time to adjust. So Jania decided to keep her as one of their feral tenants.
Over time, Creekside began to show a gentler side, especially enjoying the catio where she mingled with other feline newcomers.
Now a permanent member of Jania’s rescue, Creekside has found her role: welcoming and comforting new rescues. It’s quite heartwarming if you ask me! What do you think? Please, feel free to share your thoughts below.
