
NEED TO KNOW
- Pearl Downing had been searching all over the house for Strawberry, the family’s 2-year-old pregnant cat, but no matter how hard she looked, the cat was nowhere to be found
- After a while, the mom of two from Fort Worth, Texas, enlisted the help of her 4-year-old daughter, Blossom
- Determined to assist, Blossom went to check her room. When she lifted the blankets on her lofted bed, she made a surprising discovery
Pearl Downing had been searching all over the house for Strawberry, the family’s 2-year-old pregnant cat, but no matter how hard she looked, the cat was nowhere to be found.
After a while, the mom of two from Fort Worth, Texas, enlisted the help of her 4-year-old daughter, Blossom. Determined to assist, Blossom went to check her room. When she lifted the blankets on her lofted bed, she made a surprising discovery: Strawberry was curled up in her bed — alongside three tiny newborn kittens: two girls and one boy.
Blossom immediately shouted for her mom. When Pearl, 28, arrived, she gently moved Strawberry, a seal bicolor ragdoll that joined the family in January 2024, and the kittens to the cozy box she had prepared for them.
“I did know she was close to giving birth since she was more vocal that morning,” Pearl, who owns 10 cats and a senior dog, tells PEOPLE exclusively. “I tried to show her the kitten box I set up for her multiple times that morning.”
Pearl Downing
Blossom, however, wasn’t ready to give up her new furry roommates. She begged her mom to let the kittens stay in her room, promising to care for them herself.
“The most memorable part for me is how much my daughter wanted to take care of the kittens after they were born,” Pearl says. “It was so cute to see how much she wanted to care for them.”
Pearl Downing
Pearl believes Strawberry chose Blossom’s bed for a reason.
“I think Strawberry picked that spot because she trusts Blossom — she’s her favorite human in the house,” she explains. “Of all my adult cats, Strawberry is also Blossom’s favorite.”
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Pearl Downing
Later, Pearl, who shares her cats’ antics on TikTok, posted the adorable moment online. The video quickly went viral, amassing nearly 5 million views and more than 1,400 comments from fellow cat owners.
“Cats give birth by their most trusted human. 💙💙💙,” one user commented.
“She loves and trusts that little mami so much💕💕,” someone else wrote.
Another person replied, “well that’s a surprise isn’t it 😂😂😂.”
“I was surprised how many people also experienced something similar,” Pearl says. “I had seen comments before of people saying their cat gave birth on their bed, but this video had so many people saying it happened to them too.”
For today, the kittens remain with their mother in the box and haven’t started bonding with the family yet. Soon, they’ll be named — all starting with the letter R.
Pearl also shared some advice for cat owners: “Carefully move the kittens to a comfortable box, then clean the area. Make sure to keep an eye on the mama so she doesn’t move her kittens back to the original spot.”
As for Blossom, her mom says her love for the little feline family hasn’t wavered. “My daughter is only 4, but she has a big heart for all the kittens and cats.”