Homeless Tabby Cat Who Gave Birth in Arkansas Walmart Gets Most Fitting Name
It’s kitten season, which means mama cats everywhere are looking for a safe, warm place to curl up and give birth to their litters. For many homeless cats, this is a tough proposition. They could find garages, sheds, or the undersides of porches. This homeless tabby cat, however, picked a particularly plum spot inside a Walmart…but she had no idea that she was recreating a scene right out of fiction.
The Walmart in question is in West Memphis, Arkansas, and don’t worry, the tabby and her kittens are now safe and sound at a local rescue organization. But you can’t give birth in a Walmart and not remind a ton of people of the bestselling 1995 book (later to become a 2000 movie starring Natalie Portman), Where the Heart Is.
Related: Pregnant Stray Cat Comes to Kind Woman for Help and the Story Is Heartwarming
In Where the Heart Is, a homeless, pregnant teenager is stranded by her boyfriend at a midwestern Walmart, where she meets some kind souls and secretly lives in the store until one night when she gives birth. After becoming a brief media sensation, the girl and her child are taken in by kindly people in the town and she is given the opportunity to work at the Walmart and rebuild her life. The story is filled with memorable characters and a heartwarming look at rural life. I read it as a teenager.
(I also thought the elegant, urbane, Harvard-educated Natalie Portman was absolutely the wrong casting choice for the lead in the film, but I don’t work in Hollywood.)
This cat, like the heroine of that film, thought that Walmart would be a great place for her to hide away and give birth, and chose the soft surrounds of a box of Better Homes and Gardens outdoor seating sets.
Where the Heart Is Naming Inspiration
It’s very common for rescue organizations to give mama cats and their litters theme names, for organizational purposes as well as to attract the attention of potential adoptees. My own adopted mama cat was named Birdie because of her preferred chirping method of communication, and her kittens were all originally named after birds, like Wren and Puffin.
To honor her ingenuity and her literary forebear, the rescue organization chose to name this mama cat Novalee, after the teenage heroine of the book, and to name her three kittens Americus, Sister, and Lexi, after three of the other characters. Americus is the name that Novalee Nation gave her baby, Sister is the character who takes Novalee and Americus in after the baby is born, and Lexi is Novalee’s best friend.
(Sorry, Forney fans. None of the babies were male.)
How To Care For a Mama Cat
Pregnant cats often exhibit nesting behavior like this, where they look for a safe, quiet, out of the way spot to give birth. This often means that if you have a pregnant cat, she’s going to climb into your laundry basket, or to a soft space under your bed. She is extremely vulnerable during this time and will instinctively try to hide away from predators. If you do not want a cat giving birth in the far reaches of your closet or under your bed, it’s best to try to make her comfortable in a box lined with towels, in an unused room of your house.
Cats can usually give birth without help, and mostly want to be left alone so as not to cause any stress, but it’s good to observe from a distance and to check on them in case they get into trouble.
Here are more tips on how to help a mother cat in labor.
And as for Novalee the cat and her kittens, they will soon be available for adoption at the Community Cats of Central Arkansas rescue.
Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos.
Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.
