Heroic mother cat takes a bullet for her babies and shields them until help arrives

By LAURA COX

Cindy's adorable kittens: No wonder she didn't want to leave them!

Meet Cindy, the mother cat whose maternal instinct kicked in when faced with a BB gun, putting herself in the line of fire and taking a bullet to protect her kittens.
She was found hovering over her newborns in Santa Fe, California, having been shot in the head and determinedly stayed with her litter until help arrived.
Despite being in a critical condition she was reluctant to leave her babies and had to be gently pried away by staff at the Helen Woodward Animal Centre so that they could treat her. Veterinarians performed surgery to remove the bullet and Cindy is now recovering, surrounded by her precious kittens.

Road to recovery: Cindy was operated on at the Helen Woodward Animal Centre in Santa Fe, California

‘Mommy and baby kitties are all doing fine, but it was touch and go when they first arrived,’ Dr Oba told the Del Mar Times.
‘They were all very tiny, malnourished, unvaccinated and very scared. It took a gentle hand to pull that Momma away from her babies.’
Staff described the loyal cat as a ‘role model’ to mothers everywhere. She and her kittens are available for adoption from the centre.

source: dailymail