Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. (May 8, 2026) – It has been said that it takes a village to raise a child and animal welfare workers can testify that it takes dozens of individuals to rescue a single orphan pet. It is also true however that, in times of crisis, one mother’s love can be boundless. At Helen Woodward Animal Center, one polydactyl mother cat has stretched out her paws to a litter of six motherless kittens to join her own. This Mother’s Day Weekend, all seven baby felines are celebrating the chance at a beautiful life, thanks to one mother’s love.
On April 8th, Helen Woodward Animal Center became home to a big-hearted and big-pawed feline. Arriving via transport from a partner rescue in Long Beach, a beautiful Calico mommy cat and her tiny, 3-week-old, female kitten had some remarkable feet. Polydactyl cats are felines born with a harmless genetic mutation resulting in extra toes (6-7 versus the normal 5), making their paws large and wide. Both mother and baby seemed equipped to take on the world with a broader reach than a standard cat.
Perhaps that is why the pair seemed so open to a group of six (6) motherless 1-week-old kittens who had also been rescued from the Long Beach area. Hungry and undersized, a litter of orange tabbies had been abandoned by their mother and were too fragile to go long without nourishment and care. The struggling litter was introduced to the nursing mother and, as luck would have it, Mama Mittens paws were big enough for an extended family. In no time at all, Mittens had pulled all new babies close to her to feed and snuggle.
“Overnight, Mama Mittens went from a single mom of one to a single mom of seven,” said Helen Woodward Animal Center Foster Assistant Manager Courtney Williams. “Animals are amazing. Mama Mittens didn’t just decide to welcome them for nourishment, she immediately began to provide each of them with the love they’d been missing.”
With the devotion of their adopted mother, all seven kittens are flourishing and will have a chance to find forever families. Mama Mittens’ original kitten (named Socks) will be available for adoption in approximately 2 weeks. Mama Mittens and her adopted litter of six (5 boys and a girl named Flip, Flop, Jean, Jacket, Hat and Scarf), will all be given a few more weeks for final health checks, spay and neuter surgeries, and should be available in the first or second week of June.
Helen Woodward Animal Center wishes a very Happy Mother’s Day to all mothers, whether natural or adopted. We simply couldn’t do it without you!
Those interested in adopting can fill out an adoption application at animalcenter.org/adopt-a-pet or call (858)756-4117 ext. 1. You may also stop by Helen Woodward Animal Center at 6461 El Apajo Road, in Rancho Santa Fe.
***
About Helen Woodward Animal Center
Helen Woodward Animal Center is a private, non-profit organization where “people help animals and animals help people.” Founded in 1972 in Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., the Center provides services for more than 90,000 people and more than 10,000 animals annually through adoptions, educational and therapeutic programs both onsite and throughout the community. Helen Woodward Animal Center is also the creator of the International Home 4 the Holidays pet adoption drive, the International Remember Me Thursday® campaign and The Business of Saving Lives Workshops, teaching the business of saving lives to animal welfare leaders from around the world. For more information, go to: https://animalcenter.org.
