She trusted them 🥺
One quiet evening, Madison Smith was curled up in bed watching Love Island when her boyfriend, Keaton Joniper, came in and told her he’d heard a cat meowing outside their screen door. As an animal lover with two cats already at home, Smith didn’t hesitate — she jumped up to see who was calling.
On the porch stood a small, wary cat. She was clearly hungry but hesitant, meowing softly while keeping her distance. Smith put out some food and sat nearby, giving the cat space.
“She wasn’t super comfortable with being close to us at first and would hiss at my boyfriend,” Smith told The Dodo. “She was very non-threatening and obviously just scared.”
At first, Smith thought the visitor might belong to a neighbor in her apartment complex. But when the cat returned the next day — and then the day after that — it became clear she didn’t have a home. Slowly, she began to trust, and eventually, Smith was able to reach out and pet her. That’s when she noticed something surprising.
“That’s also when I realized she was pregnant,” Smith said. “I had never seen a pregnant cat before, so I wasn’t completely sure.”
The little cat still wasn’t ready to come inside, so Joniper built her a makeshift shelter from a cardboard box lined with a soft blanket. The couple named her Midge, and she settled into her new cozy space as if she understood it had been made just for her.
Not long after, Midge disappeared. When she finally reappeared, it was clear she was no longer pregnant. The couple searched everywhere for her kittens but couldn’t find them. Smith even left Keaton in charge of “kitten lookout” while she was away on a short trip, but there was still no sign of the babies.
Then, on the morning Smith returned home, she spotted Midge slipping into her cardboard shelter. Curious, Smith peeked inside — and gasped.
“I looked into the box and saw teeny tiny paws,” she said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
Three newborn kittens were nestled against their mom, safe and sound. Smith’s heart swelled.
“It made me emotional,” she said. “I was so proud of Midge and happy that she felt like they would be safe with us.”
The little family was quickly taken to the vet, where Smith was relieved to hear that everyone was perfectly healthy. Back home, she and Joniper made sure Midge and her babies had everything they needed. They named the kittens Sprinkle, Skipper, and Sassy — fitting names for their budding personalities. Sprinkle, the runt, turned out to be the cuddliest; Skipper became the fearless explorer; and Sassy lived up to her name from the very start.
While the couple plans to find loving homes for the kittens once they’re grown, Midge has already found her forever family. She chose them, and they couldn’t be happier to choose her back.
For now, their home is filled with the joyful chaos of three playful kittens — and the quiet gratitude of a mother cat who finally knows she’s safe.
