Hero Firefighter Thought He Was Adopting 1 Cat. He Ended Up With 7

Daily Paws
·2 min read
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Donna Ellen Coleman / Getty

Imagine adopting one cat, but instead, you end up with seven. Rather than nine lives, you end up with 63.

Well, that's what happened to Tom Haluscak, a firefighter with the Wheeling Fire Department in West Virginia.

"The way my luck is, it wasn't that big of a surprise, but it was very overwhelming," he told local news station WTRF.

Here's how it happened: Haluscak and his firefighting compatriots saved a pair of cats from a fire back on Jan. 3. According to WTRF, he adopted one, even though he doesn't think of himself as much of a cat person.

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Sure enough, the cat novice noticed his new cat, a girl named Whiskey, had begun to add on a few pounds.

"She got a little bigger and bigger, and I thought I was overfeeding her," he told the TV station.

Sure enough, a veterinarian determined she was pregnant with six kittens. She gave birth about a week ago, overwhelming Haluscak a little bit. But, he knows Whiskey is a good mother, and he's watched her dote on her new kiddos.

"I think a lot of pet owners will tell you, and I wasn't really much of a believer until I rescued her, but I didn't rescue her. She rescued me," he said.

Now, he doesn't plan to keep all the kittens. Most of them will find new families through adoptions, but he told WTRF that he plans to keep one of Whiskey's kittens to keep mom company.

How to Tell If Your Cat Is Pregnant

Wondering if your cat might be pregnant? There are several signs that may indicate your feline friend is expecting. A few tell-tale signs can indicate that she has a litter of kittens on the way: your cat is eating more and putting on additional pounds; she's enduring morning sickness; or her nipples are swelling and changing color. If you want, you can also elect to have your cat take a pregnancy test, but that's probably not necessary and will require a trip to the veterinarian. Speaking of which—be sure to reach out to your vet if you think your cat might be pregnant.