Kitten Finds a New Family Thanks to Foster Mom’s Clever Idea

A Michigan foster parent had a heartwarming success when she introduced a bottle-fed kitten to a nursing mother cat and her litter. Morgan Miller, who fosters cats through a local rescue, shared on TikTok how she got the idea from videos of mother cats caring for orphaned kittens. Inspired, she decided to try it with Ferguson, a 3-week-old kitten she had been bottle-feeding.

@momomiller1215

Our new Mama is now taking care of our 3 week old kitten from another litter. I’m so proud of her!#kittensoftiktok #fosterkittens #adoptdontshop #catsoftiktok #heavencanwaitanimalshelter #heavencanwaitmi #kitten

♬ you’ll be in my heart – christina perri

The plan worked better than she expected. Miller placed Ferguson in the box with the mama cat and her kittens, and the mother instantly accepted him. She cleaned him, let him nurse, and treated him like one of her own. “I guess I’m off bottle-feeding duty,” Miller joked in her video.

Experts note that kittens thrive when cared for by a lactating mother, but introducing an orphan can carry risks, such as rejection or milk supply issues. Thankfully, Ferguson’s new mom embraced him completely. According to Miller, she now treats him just like the rest of her kittens, even chasing after him as if he were her own.

We encourage everyone thinking of getting a pet to only adopt instead of shopping and use this amazing pet adoption search tool by WildWatchers to find shelter animals near you!

Read more resources about adopting animals on One Green Planet, including 7 Reasons to Adopt Your Next Furry Best Friend, 5 Reasons Why Everyone Should Adopt a Pet, and These Heartwarming Before and After Pictures of Adopted Rescue Animals Will Make Your Day! Read tips for pet adoptions and what to consider before adopting an animal.

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