The way a mother cat decides to cope without having her kittens around her is enough to shatter anyone’s heart.
A July 5 TikTok video posted by @finny.mp4 explains that the owner’s cat, Ms. Kitty, had six litters. But not once did this momma cat get to keep a kitten. Six times she parted with her babies.
Even though this cat doesn’t have a kitten anymore, her motherly instincts didn’t disappear. In fact, she shows these instincts every evening, but instead of kitties, she turns to socks and stuffed animals.
The text on the clip reads: “And now, late at night she gets little stuffed animals or even folded socks and grooms them, meowing for all her babies she lost.”
@finny.mp4 Shes so sweet i love her so much her name is ms. kitty
Cats will sometimes groom each other, which helps create a special bond. But like Ms. Kitty, cats might have to turn to different objects like stuffed animals if another feline isn’t with them.
The Better With Cats website reported that cats licking toys as it is a soothing behavior. Cats also mark their scent and claim ownership of the toy they’re constantly licking, which mimics what they would do in the wild.
In Ms. Kitty’s instance, she does it for comfort. The stuffed animals and socks she grooms now carry a familiar scent, making her get attached. Now, she seeks out those objects in her nightly routine to help cheer herself up.