Thomasina is as sweet and adorable as her picture!  Earlier this year, Thomasina was a starving stray lurking in the shadows of an Old Town Alexandria parking lot Earlier this year, Thomasina was a starving stray lurking in the shadows of an Old Town Alexandria parking lot. After an epic rescue of the tiny tabby and her five newborns  (see below for more details), Thomasina took to indoor life and motherhood like a natural. The babies are now weaned, and Thomasina and her quintup lets are ready for adoption.  Thomasina is  an amazingly sweet girl and the most wonderful mother.   Every day becomes more and more affectionate with her foster parents. Thomasina doesn't love to be picked up, but once in your arms doesn't mind being held. She's an easy going girl, and even accepted Babe the dog right from the start. Thomasina is quite talkative with her people and with her kittens. She will make a wonderful pet.

Now back to that parking lot: The little cat's pitiful cries  coming from the bushes caught the ear—and heart—of an FFGW volunteer. Our volunteer faithfully (but secretly because of hostile neighbors) fed the little kitty, who arrived promptly for meal time every evening, inhaled the food and disappeared.  Over the course of weeks, our volunteer slowly won the kitty’s trust,  named “him” Thomas and we planned to trap him and get him off the streets.  “Thomas” began to look healthier, and then a bit pear shaped. “Thomas” was “Thomasina” and pregnant! We sped up the trapping plan. But not fast enough. 

In mid-March, Thomasina did not come for dinner. When she reappeared three days later, she was skinny and starving again, and it was clear that she had had her kittens - but where?  Our volunteer tracked her, up alleys and across yards, until she found the kittens, but they were under the porch of a house with a dog, and the owners had called animal control. Thomasina wasn't interested in the animal control officer's traps:  our volunteer had fed her a rotisserie chicken for Easter dinner the night before! A City of Alexandria Animal Control Officer came to our assistance. His arms were long enough to reach under the house and grab three of the kittens. But while he was taking them to safety, Thomasina moved the remaining two babies to a different hiding place. By nightfall, however, all 5 babies and Thomasina (who went right into a carrier at her dinner time) were reunited at the Alexandria Animal Welfare League.  A week later, the little family was relocated to an FFGW foster home, and the rest, as they say, is history!