Did it, though? My 90 year old mother used it in the same way since her childhood. I think it’s always been sarcastic, probably from use by lowly soldiers. In the phrase, she pronounces and spells it as “gummint work” even though she would normally say “government.”
You can’t just post something like this without making sure they’re okay! Like either they’re being adopted or at least their mother is coming right back to take care of them, and is getting plenty to eat! And someone is going to see they all get spayed/neutered, including mom!