In November 2022, a pregnant cat roamed an apartment complex looking for someone to care for her. She was normally skittish towards other people, but she desperately needed food and shelter for her growing body.

One night, she spotted someone whose presence made her feel safe right away. She’d never seen the woman before, but something told her to follow her home.

“A stray cat followed me from the parking lot to my apartment,” Jessica Elaine wrote in a TikTok. “She looked pregnant [and] waddled right up the stairs to me. She [definitely] picked the right person because I keep lots of tasty cat treats around.”

Jessica Elaine

Jessica would’ve let the cat, whom she named Sally, into her house right away, but she had cats of her own and worried they would stress her out even more. Instead, she offered Sally a can of tuna outside her door, then gave her full-body pets until the cat wandered off, hoping that she’d see her again.

Sally surprised Jessica by showing up at her apartment the next night for another visit. When she got there, she found a box lined with towels made especially for her by Jessica. The expectant cat immediately crawled into her cozy new shelter and made herself comfortable.

“She loved it,” Jessica wrote on TikTok.

Jessica Elaine

Jessica spent the next few days trying to earn Sally’s trust. After multiple cans of tuna and a couple of restful nights in her shelter, Sally started to come around. She was already comfortable with Jessica petting her, but she finally wanted to get closer to her rescuer.

So, when Jessica sat down outside her door a week after initially meeting Sally, the cat sauntered up to her and lovingly jumped into her lap. She burrowed herself into Jessica’s legs and started purring.

Jessica Elaine

“The first time she climbed into my lap, I almost cried,” Jessica told The Dodo. “It really felt like we were making an emotional breakthrough, and she fell asleep right on me.”

Finally, Sally knew she was safe and loved.

A few days into meeting Sally, Jessica spotted another cat watching the two from a distance. As the days passed, the gray cat got closer to Jessica, but always kept his eyes on Sally. It didn’t take long for Jessica to realize that he was Sally’s partner.

Jack, as Jessica called him, was more cautious, but he loved Sally, so he followed her around wherever she went.

Jessica Elaine

Jessica started opening the door to her house each night for Sally and Jack to enjoy their tuna inside. Sally took Jessica up on her offer almost every time, while Jack only stopped in every once in a while.

Sally loved checking out Jessica’s home and taking naps in her cats’ beds after dinner, but, come morning, the sweet girl would always be ready to leave.

As the days passed, the pregnant cat’s belly grew bigger until, one night, she showed up at Jessica’s door looking noticeably different.

“Her stomach grew and grew like she swallowed a watermelon,” Jessica said. “Then, on January 31, she [popped] up, and I almost didn’t recognize the skinny kitty showing up at my door.”

Jessica Elaine

Sally had clearly given birth to her kittens, but Jessica didn’t know where they were. She tried to find them but had no luck. Sally would still visit her every day, though, so while she ate or rested, Jessica would quietly beg her to bring her babies with her next time.

It took a few weeks, but, finally, Jessica’s wish came true. As she opened her door one night, she found a tiny orange kitten, who looked just like Sally, on her doorstep.

“She finally brought us a baby sweet potato,” Jessica wrote on TikTok.

Jessica Elaine

A few nights later, Sally carried three more of her babies to Jessica’s house. Not long after, the doting mama cat brought her final kitten to Jessica.

“She brought me five sweet little babies!” Jessica said.

Jessica’s been taking care of Sally’s kittens every day since. Each of the five babies has since developed their own unique personality, and Jessica is loving getting to know every single one.

“Sweet potato is fearless and funny, Black Bean is the most observant gentleman I’ve ever met and Gravy is Jack’s little twin,” Jessica said. “Pepper is the runt of the group, but the absolute sweetest girl and Chai is the leader of the mischief.”

Jessica Elaine

Since bringing her babies to Jessica, Sally has become the best mom ever.

As much as Jessica would love to keep all of the kittens, she knows they would be more comfortable growing up in homes of their own. So, she’s looking for responsible and loving pet parents in North Carolina to adopt them.

Until then, Jessica will keep showering the babies with love and taking care of her new little family. Only time will tell if Sally and Jack will stick around after the babies are adopted, but Jessica is comforted by the fact that they feel safe with her.

“Being an animal’s safe place is an indescribable feeling,” Jessica said. “[They’re] so sweet.”