13 kittens wear on mother

"Juliette" may have found her Romeo, but 13 kittens later, the consequences of that rendezvous aren't any better for the Siamese cat in this story than they were for the lovers in Shakespeare's tale.

DiAnna Pfaff-Martin, founder of Community Animal Network, which rescues animals and places them for adoption, said, "In the history of Community Animal Network we have never witnessed or heard of a mom cat having over 10 kittens."

"That's crazy," said Kelly Wright, a veterinarian at the Cat Clinic of Orange County in Costa Mesa, when she heard there had been a litter of 13 kittens. Wright said 10 would be a more reasonable "maximum number" in a litter, but added, "If a woman can have six or seven babies, I guess it's not impossible for a cat to have 13 kittens."

The cat and kittens are at the Orange County Animal Shelter, and will be picked up by Community Animal Network on Thursday.

Brittany Rachels, 18, of Huntington Beach, a volunteer for the organization, has offered to care for the cat and its kittens at her home until they can be adopted or other caregivers are found.

An average size litter is four to eight kittens, and when there are more than that, nursing them becomes difficult for the mother cat.

Bree Justice, an employee at the Orange County Humane Society in Huntington Beach, said that while cats have eight nipples, only six of them supply milk for the kittens.

With a larger litter, the bigger and stronger kittens are more aggressive, push the smaller ones out of the way, and, according to Justice, "It's a mess."

Community Animal Network is asking the public for help in bottle-feeding and caring for the animals.

The organization will train volunteers, and all formula and supplies will be provided.

To volunteer, call (949) 533-0411. To make a donation, mail your check — referenced with tax ID No. 33-0971560 — to Community Animal Network, P.O. Box 8662, Newport Beach, CA 92658. For more information, go to www.communityanimalnetwork.org.