For Mother’s Day, the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, CA, shared the story of a wonderful shelter cat, Ballerina. Shortly after she arrived in the shelter, the loving pregnant cat adopted a Sphynx kitten, Cleopatra, as her own.
As you may know, Sphynx cats are classified as hairless although they have soft peach fuzz. At first, they may look like a tiny wrinkled Yoda (more on that later). And, although Cleopatra’s name is Egyptian, the breed originated in Canada. Who would have thought? Also, it’s spelled differently from the Sphinx in Egypt too.
Images via Facebook/Helen Woodward Animal Center
Ballerina Adopts Sphynx Kitten Cleopatra
On Facebook, the animal center shared the story of how the Sphynx kitten arrived in March, neglected by her mother. According to Yahoo, Cleopatra’s owner was “desperate” to save the kitten after the mother rejected her. Sadly, her siblings didn’t make it.
“A mother’s love knows no bounds, and in honor of this Mother’s Day, we are delighted to share about the unforeseen bond between our young Sphynx cat, Cleopatra, and her adopted mother,” the shelter posted.
After Cleopatra arrived, the rescuers bottle-fed her. However, they knew it would be better if the kitten had a mother’s care and attention. Fortunately, they happened to take in the grey and white Ballerina six days later. Then the mama cat gave birth to kittens Bean, Biscuit and Bunny.
Ballerina Gives Cleopatra the Love She Missed
Wonderfully, Ballerina is “extremely affectionate” and readily took in Cleopatra “within minutes.”
“Ballerina is ‘in love with’ Cleopatra, according to animal center foster program supervisor Erin Schmitt, “Animals are amazing. It’s as though Ballerina sensed a need in Cleo and decided to not only provide her nourishment but provide her all the love she’d been missing.”
With a loving mama and shelter, all of the kittens thrived. Soon, Bean, Biscuit and Bunny will be ready to find forever homes. Likewise, Cleopatra will be ready once she passes her final health checks. On social media, many people expressed interest in adopting the kittens and Ballerina together.
Cleopatra’s Yoda-like Baby Pictures
Owing to her cute, pink Yoda-like appearance, Cleo’s name when she first arrived was apparently Yoda. Often, kittens go through a few rounds of names before they grow, their gender is determined, and the right name sticks.
“People usually love this special breed or hate them. Little or no hair and very cute wrinkles, the Sphynx loves attention. They actively seek out ways to interact with their people, expending energy or cuddling. They are even good company for other cats and dogs,” they write.
“Meet Yoda, ears and all,” the shelter posted on March 28.
“The naked truth is this tiny miracle of a bottle baby was rejected by its mom, which resulted in her getting special attention, like being fed from a syringe. Stay tuned as we share more details about this survivor soon.”
More cool facts about these unique peach-fuzz babies here.
The post Abandoned Sphynx Kitten Cleopatra Adopted by Loving Shelter Mama Ballerina appeared first on Cole & Marmalade.
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