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Two weeks after I lost my beloved cat Grainne, my pet sitter called to say that she and another of her clients rescued a mother cat and her five kittens. They asked if I'd like to have a look at them, now safe in her client's finished attic.

Mom was a starving six-pound stray who had crawled through a broken garage window to give birth. A few days later, mom had gone out to get food. When she returned, she found that the broken window had been boarded up, so she dug a hole in the gravel driveway to get back into the garage and her babies. She was a super mom!

With just one look at her, I knew I had to take her home with me once her babies were weaned. I named her Grace.

I decided to take one of the kittens home, as well, to keep her company. There was one little girl who seemed to be very close to Grace, so I chose her and named her Shadow. All of the kittens found good homes, and none went to a shelter.

In the pic below, mom Grace is on the right and daughter Shadow is on the left. I named her Grace, because I thought I was her saving grace. I was wrong. She and Shadow are my saving grace. Three weeks after I took my new charges home, my dad died. I don't know how I would have made it through that sad time without them.

I've had them for eight years now, and they are as beautiful and loving as ever. They are Maine Coon mixes, my gentle giants.

Story submitted by Patricia Carey from Rochester, New York.

This story was originally shared on The Animal Rescue Site. Share your very own rescue story here!