Not long ago, a community cat found shelter in her caretaker’s garage to safely deliver her babies in a familiar space. 

The person who had been feeding her, though overjoyed, couldn’t afford to care for all the newborn kittens, so he contacted Emilie Rackovan, an animal rescuer from Milwaukee, for help. 

Emilie responded promptly, eager to provide the little family with a loving home. Using a humane trap, she captured the mother cat and brought her and her kittens into her home to foster.

Like any kittens, her babies were incredibly adorable, but one of them, named Kangaroo, was significantly smaller than her siblings. 

The mother cat, focusing her energy on the healthier kittens, unfortunately, showed no interest in little Kangaroo, rejecting her from the litter.

Emilie devised a plan to bottle-feed Kangaroo, hoping to nurse him to a size where he could be reintegrated with his siblings. 

While the poor kitten cried for the love and attention he was suddenly deprived of, another foster kitten in Emilie’s care also needed a faithful companion.

At the same time, a dog in active labor was brought to the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC). 

En route to the shelter, she gave birth to two puppies and delivered six more under the watchful eyes of the shelter workers. Because the shelter environment wasn’t ideal for newborn puppies, Emilie gladly took them in as well.

She soon noticed that among these puppies, there was a tiny girl named Possum who didn’t quite fit in with her littermates. Her mother had refused to care for her, leaving her significantly smaller than her siblings. 

Emilie decided to bottle-feed Possum, hoping to help her catch up in growth and eventually reintegrate her with her litter – just like she planned for Kangaroo.

Both Kangaroo and Possum were in desperate need of love, warmth, and companionship. 

Seeing this, Emilie paired them up and began bottle-feeding them around the clock. 

Surprisingly, they loved the arrangement! The moment they met, they stopped crying, embraced each other, and formed a bond that seemed destined to become unbreakable. 

Reflecting on their friendship, Emilie said: 

“It’s pretty normal for any baby animal to seek comfort in another animal, regardless of species, but it’s adorable to see them form this friendship. They love to snuggle and sleep all cozied up to each other.”

Today, Kangaroo and Possum do everything together; they share an incubator (since they’re too young to regulate their own body temperatures), sleep, play, eat, and explore the world around them. 

They’ve found comfort in each other’s presence, giving them a sense of calmness and belonging.

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A post shared by Emilie Rackovan (@emiliexfosters)

Thanks to Emilie’s devoted care, both girls are thriving and growing bigger every day. Their foster mom hopes that once they fully regain their strength, their moms and siblings will welcome them back into their litters with open paws. 

But even if that doesn’t happen, I know for sure that Kangaroo and Possum have found a family in each other – and no one can take that away from them!

If you want to see what the future holds for these lovely ladies, I suggest following Emilie on both Instagram and Facebook. Also, feel free to comment below with your predictions for Kangaroo and Possum – I’d love to read what you think will happen!