Leyley is a dedicated animal rescue volunteer with a heart of gold. Her passion for helping furry friends knows no bounds and her rescue mission you’re about to read will warm your heart.
One day, Leyley found out about a possibly pregnant cat in her local Walmart Garden Center. Even though it was storming all day, she decided to investigate.
At first, she couldn’t find anything and was just about to leave when she heard tiny meows coming from a dark corner. There she came upon a heartbreaking scene – a scared cat was lying in a puddle and her newborn kittens were all around her.
Describing her first encounter with the cat family, Leyley shared on Reddit:
“Just as I’m about to leave I hear some squeaky little meows coming from the corner. I climb past some shelves to find a cat with her newborn kittens in a half-inch-deep puddle in the dark recesses of the Garden Center, scared out of her mind.”
With the help of a caring employee, Leyley used canned food to lure this distressed cat and her one-day-old babies into her care and eventually brought them to her home.
After she cleaned them, the kittens’ true beauty shone through. These five adorable black bundles had stunning blue eyes and incredibly sleek fur.
She named the mama cat Marvel and her litter the Iron Man Kittens: Rhodey, Stark, Jarvis, Pepper, and Happy.
However, caring for this cat family wasn’t without challenges. Marvel acted aggressively, making it really hard for Leyley to tend to the babies.
Despite Leyley’s best efforts to provide them with comfort and care, this mama seemed too scared to relax and she continuously caused problems, as Leyley explained:
“She literally tried to claw her way through the dry wall next to the window in my bathroom, did some serious damage.”
Soon, the kittens developed severe ringworm and Leyley had to isolate them from their mama. Using a modified tool, she treated their ringworm and gave her best to help them socialize and wean, sharing:
“I end up having to modify a “Grab and Reach” tool in order to gently slide the kittens away from Marvel so that I can treat their ringworm, socialize them, and eventually help wean them. It was interesting, to say the least.”
Days passed and Marvel’s aggression towards Leyley persisted. Even after two months, her behavior didn’t change and it started to affect the kittens. Leyley knew she had to ensure their safety so she found a perfect home to take Marvel in.
Once she was spayed, Marvel was placed on a farm where she could enjoy a serene environment alongside other cats, as Leyley shared:
“She’s still lunging and hissing at me, and has completely destroyed my bathroom. The kittens are fully weaned, so I separate her from them, set a box trap, and bring her to be spayed. She goes live at a lovely farm with several other cats.”
In the meantime, the Iron Man kittens thrived under Leyley’s care, growing stronger with each passing day. With the help of her fellow volunteer, Leyley ensured they received all the needed treatments to prepare them for their next life chapter.
However, due to their small size, it took several weeks for them to be ready for adoption, as Leyley shared:
“I get all of the kittens fixed, vaccinated, and microchipped. This takes several more weeks because they are on the small side for kittens their age, and I have to wait for a certain spay/neuter event to come around.”
At six and a half months, the Iron Man Kittens were placed in a rescue center to increase their adoption chances. Their wait paid off as they soon found loving homes, each one eagerly welcomed by families ready to shower them with love.
Leyley was sad to part ways with her furry friends but found solace in knowing she made a huge difference in their lives. She spared them from an uncertain fate and gave them a chance at a happy and safe future!
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