Mama cat helped to raise 8 kittens. Now all have been adopted — except her
A mama cat helped raise eight kittens — and now all of the little ones have been adopted.
But the nurturing mom still waits for a home of her own, according to a North Carolina animal shelter.
“Everyone has found their forever homes... except for Lovebug,” the Humane Society of Catawba County wrote July 28 on Facebook. “We aren’t sure why she has been overlooked all this time.”
Lovebug is up for adoption after she landed at the humane society in March. She arrived with her feline sister, Bunny, and their eight newborn kittens, the shelter wrote in its social media post and in an email to McClatchy News.
“Living up to her namesake, Lovebug is nothing but sweet,” the shelter wrote. “Within the first 2 minutes of coming into the shelter, she received her name. She was just that loving.”
The friendly cat and her sister were raising their litters together when the shelter realized something was wrong. Lovebug’s birth canal was blocked, leading to an emergency surgery. Three other kittens had gotten stuck inside of her and died.
“While in recovery, she wasn’t herself and was increasingly depressed without kittens and with full milk production,” the shelter wrote. “Her sister had been placed in foster care during this time and was struggling to feed 8 babies... We took a chance and reunited her with her sister and babies. This was all it took, and Lovebug became her sweet self again!”
Lovebug helped to nurse the little ones until they were ready for adoption. As she continues to wait for a new owner, the mama cat is known for being “snuggly and borderline needy,” always wanting to be close to people.
As of July 31, the shelter’s website still listed the nearly 2-year-old cat as being available for adoption in the Hickory area, a roughly 55-mile drive northwest from Charlotte. Details about the animal organization’s adoption process can be found at catawbahumane.org.
“She’s more than ready to trade in the shelter for a home, and an adopter who will provide all the attention she can manage,” the shelter wrote. “Don’t be shy — she sure isn’t!”
This story was originally published July 31, 2025 at 1:50 PM with the headline "Mama cat helped to raise 8 kittens. Now all have been adopted — except her."
