Animals have such strong maternal instincts that they will act as mothers to their little ones, even if they are not their biological children. Orphaned babies in need of a mother have been successfully paired with surrogate mothers, in a beautiful and mutually beneficial relationship.

That was the case recently at a shelter, which saw a loving mom cat take an orphaned newborn Sphynx cat under her wing as if it were her own kitten.

According to a Facebook post, the Helen Woodward Animal Center in Rancho Santa Fe, California, took in a Sphynx cat named Cleopatra in March. The cat’s mother was not interested in nursing her babies and sadly, all of Cleo’s siblings passed away.

But fortunately, Cleopatra survived and soon found a new mother to care for her.

Shortly after taking in Cleopatra, the animal center took in a domestic shorthair cat named Ballerina, who was pregnant with her own kittens.

Ballerina gave birth to three kittens and, surprisingly, also took in the orphaned cat Spynx, accepting her as her own.

Erin Schmitt, the center’s foster program supervisor, says Ballerina is “in love with” Cleopatra. The loving and maternal cat has instinctively given the orphaned kitten the love and care it never received from its own mother.

“Animals are amazing. “It’s like Ballerina sensed a need in Cleo and decided to not just provide her with food but give her all the love she was missing,” Schmitt said.

It was a heartwarming story just in time for Mother’s Day. Now, all cats look forward to happy lives in new forever homes.

The Helen Woodward Animal Center says Ballerina and her kittens Bean, Biscuit and Bunny will be available for adoption soon. Cleopatra will remain at the center a little longer for final health checks.

If you are interested in giving any of these cats a good home, you can take a look at the center’s cat adoption page.

What a sweet and affectionate cat. It just goes to show how loving animals can be and how strong a mother’s maternal instincts are.