Cat Moms Bond in Shelter, Now Co-Parent 7 Babies Together

A pair of stray cats have melted hearts all over the internet after a video of the two helping each other raise their kittens went viral on social media.

In the viral clip, shared on Instagram on Monday by the rescue that is currently hosting them, under the username u/westcoastcdn19, the two cats can be seen lying down in the same bed hugging, as they take care of each other and all their kittens—seven in total.

The heartwarming clip comes with a caption that says: "The bond between these two mamas brings tears to our eyes every time," explaining the story of the felines.

A representative for Strong Hearts Cats Rescue, a completely volunteer-run, not-for-profit animal rescue based in Melbourne, Australia, which is focused on saving kill-listed animals from pounds and shelters, told Newsweek that this little family was found together at the same property and surrendered to the pound.

She said: "Fuji (Ginger mum) was found with her new baby (Everest) and Valkyrie (Ragdoll), who was very heavily pregnant. The mothers were separated upon arrival at the pound and were very shut down after spending time there alone.

"The evening before we arrived to collect them Valkyrie had her babies in her cage at the pound. She was very stressed and not feeding the babies, we were frightened for them. One of our volunteers rushed to collect Fuji, Valkyrie, and the babies and once the mothers were reunited in their cozy and safe foster home, sparks flew. Valkyrie began feeding and grooming her babies and Fuji assisted with co-parenting."

The cat rescue added that weeks have gone by and the bond between the two cat mamas has only grown stronger and stronger.

"They chatter between one another, spend their time together cuddling, and even accompany one another to the bathroom. Once the babies are big enough they will be desexed and listed for adoption. We are passionate about finding Fuji and Valkyrie a forever home together as they are bonded and we will favor any applications where someone may also want to adopt one of their babies."

Although cats are territorial creatures, when socialized properly, they can become very close to each other, becoming what cat experts describe as bonded cats.

The website of pet supplement company, Vet Organics, defines bonded cats as felines in a household or colony that have decided to stay together. They tend to rely heavily on each other for resource sharing, sleeping and playing together, and sometimes even hunting. Bonded cats won't hiss at each other when in the same place. They will peacefully share instead.

Each year 6.3 million pets are surrendered to U.S. shelters, which is an average of 17,260 a day, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

Around 920,000 surrendered animals are euthanized every year. Shelters are striving to minimize euthanasia rates by promoting adoption campaigns, spaying and neutering programs, and behavior rehabilitation.

The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across Reddit. It has so far received almost 12,000 likes on the platform.

One user, yminors, commented: "Unconditional love between two vulnerable mamas. Thank you for giving them the opportunity bond and support one another." And Leather_Dragonfly529 said: "Oxytocin is one hell of a drug. So glad they have each other and their healthy babies."

Heathensam wrote: "They're both so young. I wish I could quit life and just watch this giant cat family snuggle and knead all day." And paper_paws added: "Omg I must have watched this 5 times over. I'm melted. Head boops. Tail swirls. One potato, two potato... Too much cute."

Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.