Before viral pet videos were a thing, heartwarming pet stories still made the news. The tale of Ginger the mother cat—named for stage star Ginger Rogers—and her adopted chick made the front page of the Union. It was reprinted in newspapers across the nation in 1933.
From the San Diego Union, Sunday, April 23, 1933:
Easter Chicken Orphan Adopted By Mother Cat
When It Wanders Away for Worms, Loses Self and Peeps for Help Faithful ‘Ginger’ Goes to Rescue.
“Ginger,” mother cat, may be smart enough to have heard about “Be Kind to Animals Week.”
Whether she did or not, “Ginger” is attracting the attention of many irers because she “adopted” an Easter baby chick that was lonesome and is showing her adopted heir as much affection as she gives to “Mickey,” her own flesh and blood.
Mrs. Fritzie Hutton of 3768 Eighth street is owner of this cat-chicken family, voted by neighbors and friends of Mrs. Hutton as about the cutest demonstration of mother love of an animal for an adoption they ever have witnessed.
Hears Lonely Orphan’s Cry
When the Easter chick, a present to Mrs. Hutton’s boy, arrived at the Hutton home there was the usual “peep, peep” far into the night; the cry of a lonesome baby for its mother.
Let it be known that “Ginger’s” family two weeks ago consisted of three babies of her own. Something happened to two of them. Well, it wouldn’t be quite fair to the mother to make it known that her missing babies were kidnapped and probably drowned. However, their disappearance may have aroused in her that feeling to mother the motherless chick.
“Ginger” apparently shows partiality for her adopted chick, as she washes it with her tongue more than she does her kitten. And then, too, the chick wanders away from the box in the garage in search of worms and usually becomes lost and sets up that incessant “peep, peep” until “Ginger” comes running to the bird, takes its neck in her mouth as she would her own baby, lugs it back to the box and deposits it beside the tiny kitten.
Gets Back Stage Start
“Ginger’s” namesake is “Ginger” Rogers, a stage star in “Girl Crazy” cast that played in San Diego several months ago. The kitten, an outcast, found its way backstage of the Fox California theatre. the girls in the show took a liking to the kitten, even though it climbed upon dressing tables and stuck its nose in rouge and other facial things.
Miss Rogers adopted the kitten and gave it to Mrs. Hutton, a friend, who promised to raise it. A lover of animals and birds, Mrs. Hutton kept her promise and “Ginger” is making a grand good mother–one that no one need apologize for.
From the San Diego Union, Tuesday, May 2, 1933:
CAT TAKES GOOD CARE OF ADOPTED CHICK AND KITTEN
There have been some startling happenings out at 3768 Eighth avenue, where Ginger, a cat, recently adopted a chick and is raising it along with her kitten. After The Union printed pictures of ginger and her strange family, scores of newspapers in all parts of the United States used them.
Kitten Mickey opened his eyes Saturday for the first time, saw his feathered baby brother and tried to cuddle near it and the chicken tried to get under the kitten’s arms, so they had quite a scramble until the mother arrived and cuddled both.
Mrs. Fritzie Hutton, owner of the cat-chicken family, takes the chick out several times a day in search of worms. With a small garden hoe Mrs. Hutton digs up dirt for the chick, and each time Ginger follows close by and watches until the chicken is returned to its bed with the kitten.
There was a real sensation yesterday when Ginger brought home a live gopher for her children. The chick ran away and hid while the kitten did a whole lot of sniffing.
Ginger ties to play with the chicken because it shows so much life compared with the kitten and there is much chirping and fussing when the chicken tries to get out of Ginger’s reach. Ginger reaches out and gently pulls the chick back to her.
Mrs. Hutton says that at bedtime it’s really funny. Ginger believing in keeping her little family washed perfectly, starts on the chicken, and there is plenty of chirping and fussing until the bathing is over. After the general wash is finished, the chick and kitten cuddle close to Ginger and all is quiet until 6 o’clock in the morning. Then the chick gets his breakfast—hard-boiled egg, chick mash, buttermilk—and then out for a dig in the yard for worms.
“Since I dig the worms, the chick follows me about more than Ginger,” said Mrs. Hutton. “As soon as I am out of the chicken’s sight, he peeps, of course, much louder than he did a week ago, and when he ears my voice he makes a dash until he finds me.
