If you’re a cat lover, these pictures of a litter of orphaned kittens that were nursed back to health will make you melt.
They were discovered by Tel Aviv-based photographer Alex Greenshpun’s partner Maria, who heard the sound of crying kittens while visiting her parents.
She became concerned when the cries went on for over an hour as it was a hot day. After searching for some time, she discovered a cardboard box housing five little kittens sitting on an empty plot of land.
The kittens were in bad shape—they were dirty, thin and starving. Maria immediately called Greenshpun, who told her to take them home.
According to Greenshpun, the kittens looked like they had been born on the street, adding that several vets had told them it was rare for extremely young orphaned kittens to survive without their mother.
The pair took it upon themselves to raise and nurture the kittens as best as they could, with the intention of finding permanent homes for them.
As any pet owner will know, a pet is not merely a pet but a family member, and Greenshpun found herself growing more and more attached to the kittens as she cared for them.
“It was a bumpy ride, but it was amazing to see their transformation as well as their attachment to each other and to me as their foster mum. When they were still nursing, I had to feed them kitty-formula by a syringe. They would climb all over me the moment I’d enter the room. Even when they were already eating dry food, they would all rather cuddle with me first and try to suckle on my fingers. Even now, they recognize my voice and come running like puppies from the other side of the house whenever I call.”
The cuddly felines also bonded with the couple’s boxer-lab, in particular one kitten called Titto, who would often sit in the dog’s lap.
Now aged two-and-a-half-months, three have found homes while the remaining two are still up for adoption.
Check out some photographs of the adorable kittens below and learn more about the story behind their rescue here.
[via My Modern Met, images via Alex Greenshpun]