A cat that has taken on a mothering role with new puppies has delighted the internet after a viral video showed the adorable scenes.
On Monday, TikTok user kiwigirlxoxox shared the video which now has more than 800,000 views and hundreds of delighted comments.
The video explains that the cat lost her kittens on March 24, and at the same time started showing interest in the puppies.
To prevent the puppies from potential harm, the TikToker said she kept the cat away from the pups for three weeks, but when she allowed them to see them the cat began grooming the puppies.
Now three weeks later, the cat sleeps with them every night while the dog mom sleeps on the bed with her owner.
Cats may be famed for being aloof, but cat blog AskMyCats says that the maternal hormones present in a cat after she has delivered her kittens leave them fiercely protective and caring.
“Cats will protect their kittens,” explains the site: “In the first three to four weeks after the kittens are born, cats are ruled by their feline protective aggressiveness.”
This strong instinct could explain why this kitty is so keen to play mom to the litter of puppies. Delighted by the footage, TikTok users flooded to the comments to share their thoughts.
“They’re co-parenting,” wrote one delighted viewer, while another said: “She’s taking one for the team and letting mama dog get some good sleep.”
Another TikTok user said: “So precious,” and one commenter wrote: “She’s a nanny cat.”
Not the only feline to adopt a co-parenting method, last month two cats captured hearts online when a picture of them and their kittens gained viral attention.
Sarah-Jane White, an animal behaviorist from Ruffle Snuffle, told Newsweek: “There are a variety of reasons why a cat might choose to care for an offspring that isn’t its own. It is thought that the cat may be trying to fill a maternal role, or it may simply enjoy the companionship of a young animal. Whatever the reason, it is clear that cats are capable of forming strong bonds with animals other than their own offspring.”
Another viewer of the viral video shared their experience with a co-parenting pet: “We had a dog that used to play nurse mom to the cat’s kittens. The cat would feed them up and leave and the dog would climb in, clean them and cuddle up.”
One TikTok user said: “[It] doesn’t matter what animal, a mother is a mother.”
Newsweek has asked kiwigirlxoxox for comment.
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