Stray Cat ‘Asks’ Woman To Let Her Inside So She Can Have Her Babies
Artist Ida Floreak is from Cambridge, Massachusetts, but has been living in New Orleans for about 10 years now. Over time, Ida has really settled in the place she now calls home and has met some cool people along the way. And cats.
At the beginning of last fall, a stray cat started hanging around the artist’s house. Floreak has a kitty of her own and noticed that it was probably her pet inviting the stranger over. Either way, she named the frequent guest Salami and showed her what true hospitality means.
More info: Instagram
Image credits: idafloreak
Image credits: idafloreak
“[My cat Bruce] is a 7-year-old Siamese, and about twice her size. He’s big and very rude but I love him. Salami does too — he’s the reason she started coming by,” Floreak told Bored Panda. “I would let him outside for a little while and they would hang out in the backyard together. When he would come back in, she started to follow him. Now they hang out all day, nap together, and groom each other. It’s very sweet.”
Image credits: idafloreak
As Salami continued to spend time with Bruce, Floreak tried to win her trust and get close enough to catch the skittish cat to take her to the vet to get her fixed and vaccinated. But before Salami was comfortable enough for that, Floreak noticed that she was pregnant.
Image credits: idafloreak
“One day, Salami started meowing insistently at my door at 5 a.m. I had started feeding her at this point so she knew to come by, but she had never been so insistent and certainly never so early,” the artist explained. There’s nothing a mother wouldn’t do to keep her babies safe, and Salami probably didn’t want hers to grow up on the streets. So she asked for help. “Salami came inside and just meowed at me for a few hours so I figured something was about to happen; she was so round at that point.”
Image credits: idafloreak
Image credits: idafloreak
Floreak let her in and she started to have her babies around 8 or 9 a.m. This took the woman by surprise because Floreak figured when she had them, she would go away for a couple of weeks or so.
Floreak did everything she could to help Salami, giving her blankets and making the bedroom a quiet safe space. After a while, four tiny kittens entered this world. Floreak said she was nervous to witness everything since she hadn’t seen or done anything like this before, but it was clear that Salami knew exactly what to do and everyone got through the intense experience just fine.
Image credits: idafloreak
Image credits: idafloreak
“Salami lives with me now,” Floreak said. “I was able to get her fixed and vaccinated, and she and Bruce hang out all day together. She’s adjusted really well, and is a very sweet and loving little cat. All of the kittens have gone to friends: one is in Mississippi, and the other three are all in my neighborhood. I’m glad I get to still have a connection with them.”
Image credits: idafloreak
Image credits: idafloreak
Image credits: idafloreak
Image credits: idafloreak
The artist added that this was a really nice quarantine distraction when it was still at the beginning stages and everything was particularly scary and confusing. “I had an extra reason to stay inside the house, and something hopeful.”
The story also serves as a reminder about spaying or neutering your cat or dog. To find out more about these procedures, visit The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.
Image credits: idafloreak
Image credits: idafloreak
Image credits: idafloreak
Image credits: idafloreak
Image credits: idafloreak
Image credits: idafloreak
Image credits: idafloreak
Image credits: idafloreak
Here’s what people said about the heartwarming story
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Share on FacebookThank you to all these people helping stray animals. It’s a lovely thing. I hope her and her kittens do well!
I currently have 8 strays I care for. I'm friends w the animal catcher and she's like me..unless the animal is unfixable and will forever suffer...We help it! All lives matter!! Get it!?😳
Load More Replies...I found maybe 2 day old kitten in the rain on the edge of my property when I was running back in the house when it started to storm. I never took care of a baby animal so little wo a mom. Weird thing was I had just watched a YouTube tutorial on how to bottle feed a kitten.my chihuahua and I raised her. She's the sweetest. I never found the mama cat but I did put food and water out for months until I saw a fox eating it for a few nights in a row it's been a year. I still watch out for her
All the baby Buddha bellies! The funny faces! The pretzel-shaped sleep positions! How anyone can resist all that cuteness is beyond me—-you’d have to be made of the coldest and iciest stone to not absolutely melt at the sight.
Load More Replies...I found a pregnant almost all black baby in the dead of winter & took her in because I couldn't bare the thought of her having kittens outside in the freezing cold & snow. She had 5 kittens & I found homes for all of them (4 went to friends 1 went to a lovely couple who already had a cat). Mama was fixed & now lives a fat happy life with me.
I have a black cat and when you look at her you can totally understand why in ancient Egypt she was considered a Goddess. I mean, that cat looks amazing, with silky black fur and golden eyes. And these kitties will look awesome too. Tiger kitty is maybe closer to Bengals, also a beauty.
It's not odd that a cat 'asks' for something. Sometimes my cat will wait by her food, until I go over and move her to the food, whereupon she starts eating. As an aside though, she is sometimes 'too posh to push', I either have to open the cat flap or backdoor for her. But what the heck, she owns the place. I just have to look after it for her.
This is such a sweet story. Like the article said, there is nothing a mother wouldn't do to make sure that her babies have a safe place to grow up. All of her kittens are adorable.
I was taking care of a stray in S Korea. Then I was taking care of a stray and her one kitten. On the last day before we were moving back to the US (and after much effort contacting all kinds of people and organizations), I found them both a home! It was very stressful worrying about what was going to happen when we left. Happy ending! (And, no, I would not have been able to bring them with us for many reasons.)
Same happened to me and my girlfriend on holiday in Portugal. A black cat exactly like this one came up to our chalet to be friendly. Next day 5 kittens were lying on our sofa. The mother died suspiciously just after and we spent the rest of the holiday bottle feeding. I wasn't going to leave them so we sneaked them back to Paris by plane where we were living. Kept 2 and found loving homes for the others. The tabby is just like the one we kept. The others were black and white. Don't ever hesitate to help these creatures. The joy of having them will be much more than the inconvenience.
I was feeding a stray for years and gave her a heating pad and a warm place to stay in my garage (by leaving a window open all year for her.) I used to see her at least once or twice a day. One day about six months ago she just stopped coming and I haven't seen her since. I know the worst has happened but somehow I still hope.
You wouldn't let a pregnant girl live outside to give birth so bringing in a cat who asks is about the same. It's just simple kindness.
Not all people see an animal life equal to human life, that is why there are "people" who would not help human either.
Load More Replies...I feel so happy and grateful for her kindness, thats what we, "humans" are supposed to do, I wish all of them the best forever
Aww always save n spay wild kitties! They will love u always for it!🐱
Why can't people fix their pets? This is no win battle when people continue to be irresponsible and abandon their unfixed pets. To all fellow animal lovers, we need to continue to educate the idiots who won't fix their animals.
My mom had saved a stray dog off the streets and named him Malikai. He was adorable but incredibly skittish. He would only let my mom touch him. I stayed outside for hours hoping he would warm up to me, and he did! One time he even curled up against me. I was very upset when my mom called animal control to go get him, even though i knew she couldn't care for him. I hope his in a lovely home.
Such a beautiful story, mama and babies Thank you for allowing her into your life. That one picture with the tabby kitten poking its little head up from behind mama is just the cutest picture ever 😍 kitten has some early stink eye action going on 🤣
We took in a stray cat, or so we thought only to discover she lived round the corner but, she insisted she stayed with us. They gave their blessing ! Their little cat stayed with us long enough to have her babies !! After 8 weeks she went on her travels leaving us with two adorable kittens which e had all their life. Best present ever.
The second picture reminded me of an instance where a pregnant teenager comes to door of her lover to say she is pregnant. And the teenage boy would be like, "Mooooom..."
So instead of having a black sheep of the family she had a spotted belly sheep? So freaking cute.
Black cats bring nothing but joy - just my personal experience. Hopefully all these little ones find good homes and get spayed and neutered.
Why to be so specific, alan katz? Almost all animals make grateful and loyal friends. "Until you have been loved by an animal, you will never truly understand unconditional love.'
Load More Replies...Tabby tummy spots! The black ones appear to have a "fever coat", suggesting that mama may have been fighting an infection at some point in the pregnancy.
You're an idiot. It doesn't say that Bruce is the father. It doesn't say he isn't fixed. There isn't even a Siamese-looking kitten. You are either cognitively deficient or are being deliberately obtuse.
Load More Replies...Thank you to all these people helping stray animals. It’s a lovely thing. I hope her and her kittens do well!
I currently have 8 strays I care for. I'm friends w the animal catcher and she's like me..unless the animal is unfixable and will forever suffer...We help it! All lives matter!! Get it!?😳
Load More Replies...I found maybe 2 day old kitten in the rain on the edge of my property when I was running back in the house when it started to storm. I never took care of a baby animal so little wo a mom. Weird thing was I had just watched a YouTube tutorial on how to bottle feed a kitten.my chihuahua and I raised her. She's the sweetest. I never found the mama cat but I did put food and water out for months until I saw a fox eating it for a few nights in a row it's been a year. I still watch out for her
All the baby Buddha bellies! The funny faces! The pretzel-shaped sleep positions! How anyone can resist all that cuteness is beyond me—-you’d have to be made of the coldest and iciest stone to not absolutely melt at the sight.
Load More Replies...I found a pregnant almost all black baby in the dead of winter & took her in because I couldn't bare the thought of her having kittens outside in the freezing cold & snow. She had 5 kittens & I found homes for all of them (4 went to friends 1 went to a lovely couple who already had a cat). Mama was fixed & now lives a fat happy life with me.
I have a black cat and when you look at her you can totally understand why in ancient Egypt she was considered a Goddess. I mean, that cat looks amazing, with silky black fur and golden eyes. And these kitties will look awesome too. Tiger kitty is maybe closer to Bengals, also a beauty.
It's not odd that a cat 'asks' for something. Sometimes my cat will wait by her food, until I go over and move her to the food, whereupon she starts eating. As an aside though, she is sometimes 'too posh to push', I either have to open the cat flap or backdoor for her. But what the heck, she owns the place. I just have to look after it for her.
This is such a sweet story. Like the article said, there is nothing a mother wouldn't do to make sure that her babies have a safe place to grow up. All of her kittens are adorable.
I was taking care of a stray in S Korea. Then I was taking care of a stray and her one kitten. On the last day before we were moving back to the US (and after much effort contacting all kinds of people and organizations), I found them both a home! It was very stressful worrying about what was going to happen when we left. Happy ending! (And, no, I would not have been able to bring them with us for many reasons.)
Same happened to me and my girlfriend on holiday in Portugal. A black cat exactly like this one came up to our chalet to be friendly. Next day 5 kittens were lying on our sofa. The mother died suspiciously just after and we spent the rest of the holiday bottle feeding. I wasn't going to leave them so we sneaked them back to Paris by plane where we were living. Kept 2 and found loving homes for the others. The tabby is just like the one we kept. The others were black and white. Don't ever hesitate to help these creatures. The joy of having them will be much more than the inconvenience.
I was feeding a stray for years and gave her a heating pad and a warm place to stay in my garage (by leaving a window open all year for her.) I used to see her at least once or twice a day. One day about six months ago she just stopped coming and I haven't seen her since. I know the worst has happened but somehow I still hope.
You wouldn't let a pregnant girl live outside to give birth so bringing in a cat who asks is about the same. It's just simple kindness.
Not all people see an animal life equal to human life, that is why there are "people" who would not help human either.
Load More Replies...I feel so happy and grateful for her kindness, thats what we, "humans" are supposed to do, I wish all of them the best forever
Aww always save n spay wild kitties! They will love u always for it!🐱
Why can't people fix their pets? This is no win battle when people continue to be irresponsible and abandon their unfixed pets. To all fellow animal lovers, we need to continue to educate the idiots who won't fix their animals.
My mom had saved a stray dog off the streets and named him Malikai. He was adorable but incredibly skittish. He would only let my mom touch him. I stayed outside for hours hoping he would warm up to me, and he did! One time he even curled up against me. I was very upset when my mom called animal control to go get him, even though i knew she couldn't care for him. I hope his in a lovely home.
Such a beautiful story, mama and babies Thank you for allowing her into your life. That one picture with the tabby kitten poking its little head up from behind mama is just the cutest picture ever 😍 kitten has some early stink eye action going on 🤣
We took in a stray cat, or so we thought only to discover she lived round the corner but, she insisted she stayed with us. They gave their blessing ! Their little cat stayed with us long enough to have her babies !! After 8 weeks she went on her travels leaving us with two adorable kittens which e had all their life. Best present ever.
The second picture reminded me of an instance where a pregnant teenager comes to door of her lover to say she is pregnant. And the teenage boy would be like, "Mooooom..."
So instead of having a black sheep of the family she had a spotted belly sheep? So freaking cute.
Black cats bring nothing but joy - just my personal experience. Hopefully all these little ones find good homes and get spayed and neutered.
Why to be so specific, alan katz? Almost all animals make grateful and loyal friends. "Until you have been loved by an animal, you will never truly understand unconditional love.'
Load More Replies...Tabby tummy spots! The black ones appear to have a "fever coat", suggesting that mama may have been fighting an infection at some point in the pregnancy.
You're an idiot. It doesn't say that Bruce is the father. It doesn't say he isn't fixed. There isn't even a Siamese-looking kitten. You are either cognitively deficient or are being deliberately obtuse.
Load More Replies...
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