4-Year-Old Girl Helps Mom Look for Missing Cat. She Finds the Feline in Her Bed, Not Alone

Pearl Downing had been searching the entire house for Strawberry, the family’s 2-year-old pregnant cat, but the feline was nowhere to be found.

After a while, the Fort Worth, Texas, mom of two asked her 4-year-old daughter, Blossom, to help. Determined, Blossom checked her room, lifted the blankets on her lofted bed, and made a surprising discovery: Strawberry was curled up — not alone, but with three newborn kittens, two girls and one boy.

Blossom immediately called for her mom. When Pearl, 28, arrived, she gently moved Strawberry — a seal bicolor ragdoll who joined the family in January 2024 — and her kittens to a cozy box she had prepared for them.

“I knew she was close to giving birth since she was more vocal that morning,” says Pearl, who owns 10 cats and a senior dog. “I tried to show her the kitten box I set up for her multiple times that morning.”

Blossom wasn’t ready to part with her new furry roommates. She begged her mom to let the kittens stay in her room, promising she’d take care of 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 believes Strawberry’s choice of location was deliberate. “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.”

Later, Pearl shared the adorable moment on TikTok. The video went viral, racking up nearly 5 million views and more than 1,400 comments from fellow cat owners. Messages poured in: “Cats give birth by their most trusted human. 💙💙💙,” one person wrote. Another added, “She loves and trusts that little girl so much💕💕.”

For now, the kittens remain in their box with their mother and haven’t started bonding with the rest of the family yet. They’ll soon be given names — all starting with the letter R.

Pearl offered advice for other 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 affection hasn’t wavered. “My daughter is only 4, but she has a big heart for all the kittens and cats,” Pearl says.