Being A Mom
We all know that being a mom is difficult and not always what we expected, and this also goes for the moms in the animal kingdom.
Warning: you will need some tissues because this story begins on a sad note, but in the end, everything turns all right.
Hedgehog Family
Who doesn’t love seeing a hedgehog family running around in the grass? They are adorable, and their spiky backs make people laugh.
This is why many zoos take in hedgehog families and put them on display for children.
Proud Mother
This proud hedgehog mother has given birth to eight babies, and she was happier than ever.
Unfortunately, this is where our story gets grim because the people at the Sadgorod Zoo from Russia who was taking care of the hedgehog family made a big, big mistake…
Sadgorod Zoo, Russia
One day, the zoo staff had no idea that the hedgehog mom was in the grass, away from her babies. Not thinking much about it, they began mowing the lawn…
Unfortunately, the hedgehog mamma met the lawnmower and, sadly, got so injured that she couldn’t make it. But what about the babies?
Hedgehog Babies
The zoo staff members had no way of helping her, and the babies were all alone without anyone to care for them.
With the mother gone, the babies were crying all the time, and the worst thing was that they refused to drink from the bottle… How could the keepers care for them?
Mourning Their Mother
It's like the hedgehog babies somehow knew that their mamma got in a bad accident, and she was not coming home.
They were mourning her, and they didn’t want to drink milk from anywhere else. This was a serious problem because, without proper food, the babies would not survive.
Low Survival Chance
The chances of survival for the hedgehog babies were meager now that their mother was not with them. They didn’t have anyone to feed them healthy milk or someone to show them the ways of the world.
This was when one of the zookeepers came up with a rather… strange idea.
Strange Idea
There was a cat at the zoo that just had a litter of kittens. That’s when, seeing that the hedgehog babies were starving and looking for a mom, one of the staff members came with the crazy idea.
He thought that maybe the cat would adopt the babies… Did she?
Musya
Musya just gave birth to her kittens, and the zoo staffers thought she would accept to be a surrogate mother. Would she do it and help save the babies?
Doesn’t this sound crazy? Check out the next pictures because you will never believe what you are about to see.
Meeting a New Mom…
The zoo staff placed the newborn babies in the basket, next to the cat. They slowly approached and sniffed her and she did the same.
Everyone witnessing the encounter held their breath, hoping the mommy would be willing to adopt the orphans…
Would They See Musya As a Mom?
After getting the time to know each other, Musya looked happy to adopt these little spikey babies.
But for the adoption to be complete, the babies had to start feeding on her.
She Is a Perfect Mom
They were starving, and the smell of milk should be a good enough reason to feed on her. You’ll never believe what happened moments after!
To everyone’s surprise, Musya loved being around the little hedgehog babies. But would they accept their new mom?
Feeding Time!
Thankfully, after investigating the new mom for a few seconds, the babies didn’t waste any time getting to know each other better.
They started feeding on the cat! And they can’t get enough of it! Wait until you see the rest of the story…
Strong Maternal Instincts
Even though Musya was in over her head adopting eight hedgehog babies, her maternal instincts told her that this was the right thing to do.
And that's not all! The mama cat didn't stop here...
Healthy Milk
Now that the hedgehog babies had someone to feed them healthy milk and help them grow, they were happier than ever.
They are young, and their mother’s death might not affect them in the long run, especially now that Musya is there for them.
Getting Strong
All that matters now is that Musya is giving it all to help the hedgehog babes.
She is dedicating her time to be with them, leaving everyone in awe because cats are not known to be so altruistic.
Saying Thanks
This picture makes it look like one of the hedgehog babies got closer to Musya ear to thank her for adopting him and his brothers.
No one would believe this ever happened if we didn’t have these pictures as proof.
Pure Love
The most amazing thing about Musya’s relationship with the hedgehog babies is that she doesn’t just feed them; she also cares for them really much.
The cat has fallen in love with the little babies, and she lets them sleep with her at night to keep them comfortable.
Sweet Dreams
The zoo staff members can’t believe that Musya sleeps in the same place with the hedgehog babies, but they are happy that this is happening.
The hedgehog babies have a loving mother, and the zoo gets some new visitors because of this strange relationship.
True Surrogate Mother
Musya is a true surrogate mother, and the fact that she spends all her time with hedgehog babies shows us just how much she cares for them.
Aren’t cats amazing?
Happy Ending
We told you right from the start that this tragic story will have a happy ending, didn’t we?
Hearing about the hedgehog mamma's unfortunate death was heartbreaking, but at least her babies are healthy, and Musya is taking care of them.
Cat Stereotypes
As previously mentioned, cats are not known for being altruistic, which makes Musya’s actions even more incredible.
She is destroying stereotypes about cats while taking care of eight hedgehog babies at the same time.
A Healthy Life
All that matters now is that the hedgehog babies will live a healthy life thanks to Musya and that they don’t have to worry about anything because the zoo staff members are taking care of all their needs.
I can't believe that little nose of his! They are so cute.
Family Photo
This has been one of the most amazing stories that we covered.
Let’s hope Musya gets all the delicious treats she deserves for being such a good mom from the zoo staff members.