When a stray cat was ready to give birth, she couldn’t find a warm location to do so and had to make do with whatever shelter she could find.

Tasha Bukovnik, vice president of VOKRA (Vancouver Orphan Kitten Rescue Association), told The Dodo about the mother cat who was admitted to the rescue last week: “Calida tried her hardest to find a warm place to give birth, but was only able to find an outdoor laundry room with a freezing concrete floor.”

It’s been terribly chilly in Vancouver. Four of Calida’s five kittens died shortly after birth as a result of their exposure. “All of the kittens were healthy and would have survived if Calida had been allowed to give birth in a warm setting,” stated Bukovnik.

Calida and her final kitten sat in the freezing laundry room, hoping someone would see them. Calida realized she had to keep her final baby warm, so she wrapped herself around the small kitten.

After finally spotting the little family, the homeowner phoned for help.

VOKRA volunteers hurried to the rescue center to find the small family and bring them in for emergency care. They sped over the icy roads, hoping to save Calida and her kitty.

When Calida came, she was hungry. She gorged herself on food before resting and nursing Sentrie, her kitten.

As rescuers talked with Calida, they began to assume she had been abandoned as a pet. Bukovnik added, “She’s plainly a tame cat.”

Rescuers hope that as Calida and Sentrie grow stronger and connect, the deaths of Calida’s previous kittens will convince others to get their cats spayed or neutered to save unnecessary misery.

Despite their unfortunate start, the future of the little family appears to be bright. “We’re hoping to place them in foster care in the next several days,” Bukovnik added. “They’ll be able to recover in a family environment and then be adopted together when they’re ready.”