California Woman Discovers Freezing Kittens In Bushes And Keeps Them Warm Until Help Arrives

Becoming a foster parent for animals takes courage, patience, and a heart big enough to handle heartbreak. Just when you think you’ve seen it all, life finds a way to test you again. 

That’s exactly what happened to Nikki Martinez, a devoted foster hero from Las Vegas who has dedicated years to saving the tiniest, most fragile kittens.

One chilly night, a woman walking her dog spotted something unusual rustling in the bushes.

When she looked closer, her heart sank, there, barely moving, were several newborn kittens. Their tiny bodies were cold to the touch, and their mother was nowhere in sight.

Without hesitation, she scooped them up, cradling them in her hands to share her warmth. She knew these babies needed expert care, and fast. That’s when she called Nikki.

Even though Nikki was in California at the time, she didn’t hesitate. She immediately drove to meet the woman in the parking lot where the kittens had been found.

In the car, Nikki held the fragile babies in front of the warm air vents, praying it would help bring their body temperature back up. These kittens were just one day old, so tiny, so vulnerable, and fighting for their lives.

Even with all her experience, Nikki knew the odds were stacked against them. She admitted she wasn’t sure they’d survive the first week. But giving up was never an option.

She brought them home and began the painstaking process of round-the-clock care. For days, she fed, cleaned, and monitored them every few hours, determined to give them a fighting chance.

Then, one of the kittens, a little fighter she named Bagel, stopped eating. Nikki feared the worst, as she shared in the video:

“We thought we were going to lose her, her weight was drastically going down.” 

For newborn kittens, food is everything. Without their mother to nurse them, they rely entirely on human help. In Bagel’s case, the only option left was tube feeding, a delicate and often nerve-wracking process.

Nikki took a deep breath and did what she had to do. Slowly, carefully, she began feeding Bagel through a tiny tube, and miraculously, it worked. Before long, Bagel began bottle feeding again. As Nikki said:

“She makes quite a mess, but I don’t care, as long as she is eating!” 

Each small victory felt like a miracle. Opening their eyes, gaining weight, learning to groom, every milestone was celebrated in Nikki’s home. And yes, sometimes that meant putting tiny party hats on the kittens to mark their progress.

As the weeks passed and the danger faded, the kittens’ personalities began to shine.

Bagel’s brother, Spud, turned out to be a playful little adventurer and was soon adopted into a loving home in Southern California. His new best friend? Another kitten named The Bitty.

Their sister Pancake became a cuddly lap kitten. Nikki laughed as she said:

“Her future family is not going to be able to get her off their lap.”

Pancake was also adopted in California, joining her new mom and her cat sister Zoey, their adventures now shared on Instagram for everyone to enjoy.

Bagel, the tiniest of them all, grew into a determined little jumper who scaled baby gates just to be near Nikki and her husband. 

That independence meant one thing, she was finally strong and healthy enough to find her forever home.

Saying goodbye is never easy for foster parents. They’re there for every fragile moment, every first purr, every breakthrough. Letting go hurts, but it’s also proof of success, that a once-hopeless kitten is now ready to live a full, happy life.

In one unforgettable moment, Nikki handed Bagel over to her new family on stage at an adoption event in New York City, where she was giving a speech about fostering.

With tears in her eyes, she said softly:

“My heart may break just a little bit, so that theirs will never have to break again.”

Today, Bagel is thriving in New York, living her best life with two dog siblings and three fellow tabby cats.

For Nikki, each goodbye is also a new beginning, a chance to open her home to more kittens in need.

Her story is a reminder that love, compassion, and persistence can truly change lives, one tiny, purring heartbeat at a time.