Della, the momma cat, sure has her paws full! Not only does she have a litter of three young kittens to take care of, but she also managed to pick up three extra little young ones!
When Irish farmers Ronan and Emma purchased a batch of fertilized duck eggs, they were hoping to add a few ducks to their farm family. As they patiently waited for the eggs to hatch, they were shocked to discover that they had indeed hatched – but the ducklings were missing! Both Ronan and Emma assumed the worst, thinking that – gasp! – something got to them before they did.
And they were right, but not in the way they thought. After 6 hours of ripping apart the barn, ready to throw in the towel, the pair discovered the ducklings beside Della, one of them held gingerly in her mouth. She wasn’t eating them; instead, she was keeping them warm and nurturing them. Della had just given birth only hours before running into the ducklings, which explains why she was willing to “adopt” the baby ducks as her own. Her maternal hormones were running strong, superseding her instinct to kill, and making her eager to take on more babies. Della even fed the baby ducks, sharing her own milk with them and her kittens. It was this motherly act of kindness that probably saved the lives of the ducklings.
Now, even as big fluffy ducks, they still love their feline mom and cat siblings. Everyone gets along since they grew up together. Feathers or fur, the love is strong!
Click below to watch the bond between the mother and ALL her babies.
