New Cat Mom Suddenly Brings Kittens to Owner's Bed: 'She Trusts You'

A video of a cat mom needing a "break" from parenting her new kittens has gone viral on TikTok.

The video was shared by @joining_the_jones and has had 3 million views since it was posted on May 4.

A message overlaid on the clip reads: "Excuse me ma'am. I just put my kids to bed and I don't want yours."

The footage shows a cat walking onto a bed holding a kitten in her mouth. The feline is seen going under the covers, placing the kitten next to two other kittens, and lying down next to her litter.

A caption shared with the post reads: "Mama just needed a little break I guess."

The feline's behavior is not unusual because "a queen [a cat that's nursing kittens] may spontaneously move the kittens to a new nest several times over the first few weeks after parturition [birth]," veterinarian Katherine A. Houpt, a professor at Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine, wrote in a November 2012 article published by Ivis.

"The tendency to move the kittens from one nest to another peaks during the third week. A unique aspect of feline maternal behavior is that cats may nest together and communally nurse their kittens," Houpt noted.

The cat mom's decision to place her kittens under the warm covers is also unsurprising as it's important to keep the little ones warm.

Kittens are unable to control their own body temperature and rely on the external environment to stay warm, explained veterinarians Krista Williams and Ernest Ward in an article for VCA, the animal hospital chain.

"Hypothermia is a major cause of neonatal kitten death," according to the National Kitten Coalition, a nonprofit based in Virginia.

With kittens unable to self-regulate their body temperature until they're around four weeks old, "ambient temperature can significantly affect their survival" and "body functions may begin to shut down as their core temperature decreases," says the nonprofit.

'I Need a Break'

TikTok users adored the cat mom moment captured in the latest viral video.

A user named Kasey commented, "okay, but how sweet is it that she's showing just how much she trusts you? that little Momma loves you, and to her, you're her Momma. also, she's like: watch your grandcats! I need a break."

"Oh my heart! I would die of happiness if mine did that! She hid them in a sock drawer instead lol," said @mrsvpd1548.

User @heidy0503 wrote: "she said 'oh good you're finally free to help me. thank goodness cause i need sleep.'"

Desiray Brees said: "she's like, 'I want to cuddle but I can't leave my kids, mind if I bring them with me?'"

Commenter @Tattooed_Blondie agreed, saying: "Looks like she put them into bed with you and then laid down with them and you - so she just wanted to be with you but needed to bring them too."

David Jackson wrote: "id see this as her teaching the kittens 'and over here is the best snuggle spot in the house.'"

Newsweek reached out to the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.

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.