SerpApi.Org
We can all agree that families don't always have to look alike to be family. I have twin daughters who are exact opposites: one is tall and brunette, and the other is petite and strawberry blonde. People are always shocked to learn they're not only sisters, but twins.
Otter News, which follows the life of a pet otter named Steve and shares other otter-related content, recently posted an adorable video of a rescued baby otter who seems convinced he's just another kitten after being welcomed into the most unexpected adoptive family. In the clip, a mama cat is surrounded by her little family and lovingly grooms the tiny otter right alongside her own kittens, and as far as she's concerned, she's just taking care of all of her babies. You can watch the adorable video on @Threads.
In the caption, Otter News shared, "BREAKING NEWS: Small otter thinks it’s a cat, but nobody really minds and everyone has a great time." The kittens seemed completely fine with their new sibling, too!
Related: New Mama Cat Adopts Orphaned Baby Bunny as Her Own in Moment of Sweetness
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Do Cats Really Adopt Babies of Other Animals?
According to Adopt a Pet, it's not unusual for a cat to adopt other animals, especially if they currently have a litter that they are caring for, even nursing them as if they were their own. They will adopt other kittens, puppies, baby bunnies, ducks, squirrels, and even rats.
"Do they know the animals they are suckling are so different from them and that they are not their own? Maybe. Probably. But sometimes the desire and instinct to mother overrides everything else."
Dr. Kathryn Dench, a veterinarian and chief scientific advisor at Paw Origins, explains that most cats are instinctively excellent mothers.
Good maternal behavior in felines includes:
- grooming
- nursing
- guarding
- teaching kittens survival behaviors
She notes, "Even in a domestic setting, where hunting and predation risks are removed, these instincts remain hardwired. Mother cats will often reposition their young, respond to cries, and may even restrict access to their litter to protect them - all classic signs of strong maternal behavior.”
The internet may see a baby otter, but Mama Cat just sees one more baby to love.
