Expressing gratitude to the family that welcomed her into their home, the cat later surprised them by giving birth to her kittens in the comfort of a warm bed.

A cat “thanked” a family for bringing her into their house. Days later, she had kittens in warmth and comfort.

About a month ago, a cat was brought into Hamilton Animal Services after she had been found wandering the streets with a pregnant belly. She was in desperate need of a home where she could raise her kittens.

Karly Saltarski, cofounder of Salty Animal Rescue, learned about her plight and immediately offered to take her. With the help of a volunteer, the cat, Sage, was safely transported to her foster home with Karly.

Sage was a bit stressed after the ordeal, but once she set foot into the house, she came out of her shell.

Sage toured around her new space, checking out every nook and cranny. With a roof over her head, food within reach, and soft beds and blankets readily available, her worries quickly faded away, and she became eager for affection.

She walked up to her foster family and rubbed against each person as if to give thanks for bringing her into their home.

She then plopped down on a blanket, and rolled on her back to reveal her big belly – the ultimate sign of trust.

“She is thought to be five years old. Who knows how many litters she’s already had. I’m so happy this will be her last litter ever,” Karly shared. “Once she’s done raising her babies and is vetted/spayed, she will have a better life than she could ever dream of.”

Karly prepared a birthing box for the expectant momma and all the amenities she would need. “She’s been nesting and grooming all day. The little ones are moving like crazy in there and ready to get out.”

About 10 days after her arrival, Sage brought her six mini-mes into the world. Karly woke up that morning to the sound of the kittens nursing on their mama, surrounded by warmth and comfort.

Sage kept her demanding six (Saffron, Lavender, Nutmeg, Basil, Herb, and Dill) by her side the whole time, making sure they were all well taken care of.

With many hungry mouths to feed, Sage scarfed down eight small cans of food each day to keep up with her chunky babies. She spent most of her day and night catering to their every whim.

Whenever Karly came in to check on the family, Sage would turn into mush and purr ever so loudly, all the while having her babies snuggled next to her. She would stretch her toes with delight while getting head scratches from her foster mom.

After two weeks of undivided attention from Sage, the kittens have hit several milestones and are now starting to use their legs to venture around the nest.

Mama Sage keeps a watchful eye on her six roly-polies so they stay out of trouble. “She is doing the best job and has the chunkiest babies ever. Basil and Nutmeg are competing for the heaviest kitten.”

While Dill is the most easy-going one of the bunch, Nutmeg is honing his wrestling prowess, pushing his siblings out of the way as he moves.

His brother Herb tries to follow in his paw-steps, moving around, strengthening his little limbs. Lavender is the smallest one but so brave as she learns to walk. Saffron is their sassy sister, a princess in the making.

With a foster home, these lucky kittens never have to spend a day outside, in the cold. They are thriving as indoor kitties and growing by leaps and bounds.

No more roaming the streets, scrounging for food and shelter, “Sage is one step closer to getting to live the best life in her future forever home.”