This incredible moment has been compared to a Disney film – as a sweet mother cat adopted an unlikely orphaned animal into her litter. The story has since gone viral
A pet owner was staggered to learn that her cat had adopted an unlikely orphaned animal recently – and the heartwarming story has captured hearts around the world.
Jenn noticed that while her barn cat was nursing her litter of kittens, there was an extra little one she had not seen before. Upon closer inspection, Jenn realised it was not an extra kitten but rather a wild baby bunny. The cute rabbit looked so comfy, snuggled up in the mother cat’s fur.
And it’s clear the feline and the other babies were fine with having one more little one join them. The sweet moment was shared in a video on Jenn’s TikTok page recently – and many think the video is like something out of a fairytale movie.
Jenn, who is a teacher in the US, said: “Nature writes a better story than Disney.”
She added: “Let’s pause the cuteness for a moment of education. If you find a wild animal, it’s best bet for survival is for you to leave it be…
“Fawns are left along all day so predators aren’t attracted to mamas scent. Mama rabbits do the same thing. Often feeding them only twice a day to keep predators away from the nest.
“Around three weeks old, young rabbits begin leaving the nest and exploring. At this age, they’re about the size of a tennis ball, their eyes are open, and they can hop on their own. They look tiny but are often already weaned or almost there…
“Let’s hope for the best for this little guy and his adopted family of kittens.”
Jenn also shared a second video of the bunny enjoying hanging out with the kittens in the barn.
In response to the adorable clips, one individual commented and said: “Beautiful. we could all learn from this. Caring and nurturing is universal.”
Another gushed: “She’s a Disney Princess.” A third agreed: “Mama cats are so amazing.” Meanwhile a fourth added: “So precious, sweet mama.”
And a fifth pointed out: “That’s amazing and definitely heartwarming. Mama cats will adopt kittens that aren’t theirs, so it’s not farfetched that she would adopt a baby that happens to be another species. [They know] the baby needs a mother’s love, care and nourishment from milk. Beautiful.”
Many mother cats will accept orphaned or stray kittens into their litters, especially if the kittens are young and the queen is still nursing her own.
This is more likely if the kittens are introduced gradually and the mother is calm and healthy. However, it is a lot less common for mother cats to embrace different species.
Despite this, there are documented cases (often in domestic or rescue situations) where mother cats have nursed and cared for young of other species — such as puppies, rabbits, or even squirrels.
This is usually due to the queen’s strong maternal drive and the presence of helpless, needy babies. It’s not typical in the wild, but can occur in controlled or unusual circumstances.
