Mama pony gave birth to a foal but also ends up adopting a cat: 'Cupcake has two kids now'

Surprisingly, most profound bonds often echo from the unexpected places, and this, perhaps, explains why Cupcake (@cupcake.the.mini.pony), a pony mama, not only accepted a cat as her own but ended up actually adopting the adorable baby.

Notably, Cupcake had recently given birth to her one and only child, Strawberry Shortcake, but her deep maternal instinct instantly made the new mommy fall for Rocky, a barn cat, giving him the love and care he deserved. In a beautiful video, the cat and his foal sibling were captured sleeping peacefully while their mommy-dearest stood grazing on hay. The precious moment reflected on the endearing relationship the newly formed family shares, leaving netizens on the internet in awe. "Cupcake has two kids now. She adopted a cat," read the overlay text on the screen.

Further, the farm owner asked, "Happy family! Seriously, have you ever seen this before — a mare and foal accepting a cat into their family?" in the video caption. Well, just like Cupcake and Strawberry, thankfully, Rocky, the friendly cat and now an equally important part of their clan, also accepted them with all his heart, reminding us that family isn't always blood-related; rather, it's built with the meaningful bonds we create and the moments that turn complete strangers into a loving home.

Interestingly, in another TikTok video, Strawberry was captured peacefully sleeping, but her cat sibling was in the mood for some mischief as he repeatedly tried waking her up, possibly trying to get her to join him for a playdate. At one moment, Strawberry, who looked clearly annoyed with her brother, woke up from her deep slumber, but only to doze off again, a second later. "Ever seen a cat and a pony snoozing together? Then Rocky wanted to wake her up to play," the farm owner wrote in the caption.

"Instinctively, animals take care of [their] young to help them survive and therefore pass on the family DNA. So I think there's some hardwiring in there that leads them to offer care to another animal in need. If it isn't a relative, there may be some wires crossed, but I think the behavior comes from the same place," Jenny Holland, a renowned author, said. Further, Jill Goldman, a Southern California-based animal behaviorist, reveals that mutual benefit is also one of the reasons why animals adopt babies born by others. Moreover, he talked about why such adoptions happen, especially by nursing mothers, just like the case of Cupcake accepting Rocky. She shared, "Moms might be more willing to take on youngsters because when moms have given birth, they have a high level of oxytocin, that bonding hormone."

Meanwhile, Cupcake's heartwarming video highlighting the unusual yet beautiful bond received an overwhelming response on social media. For instance, a person who goes by @pyrmomx25 on TikTok commented, "Cupcake is just a little gem. And she continues to surprise you!" Similarly, another user, @cruellademille, on the platform shared, "Cats do communal kitten raising, so she’s there to help."

On the other hand, @janet_ailsa confessed, "I love this family! Animals are so much better than humans." Echoing the sentiments, someone else, @elizamyb, pointed out, "That cat is the same size as the foal!"

You can follow cupcake.the.mini.pony (@cupcake.the.mini.pony) on TikTok for more such animal-related content.