Farmer's black barn cat births litter of kittens in chicken coop, now her babies are being raised by the most doting and feathery "Aunties"

Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager

Apr 26, 2026 3:00 PM EDT

When you're a single pawrent, you don't say no to free help, even if they're a bunch of feather-brained friends!

Over here at I Can Has Cheezburger?, we're working hard to dispel the myth that cats are cold and aloof all the time. Every single feline we've met has been one of the friendliest creatures we've had the pleasure of spending time with, and we believe they're just as friendly as dogs. Some of them just take a little longer to warm up to you than others. And if cats can make friends with hoomans, and in our video below, even chickens, then we're pretty sure they're not as detached as most people believe them to be.

Think about it, cats and chickens should be meowrtal enemies. One is the hunter, the other is prey. And yet, this farmer's black cat gave birth to an adorable litter of kittens in the chicken coop, and her hen friends are helping co-pawrent her babies. You could call them their loving "Aunties", which we think is just too cute. All squished together in the chicken coop, the hens take turns watching the kittens as they begin to learn about the world around them, and momma cat gets to take an extra nap or two.

It just goes to beg the question - if cats and chickens can get along, why can't we?

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via moonlabs

Chicken and Cats Sharing Food Bowl Together
Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
Adorable videos by British Columbia homesteader Mayson Williams show Bitsy, one of the hens, with her fluffy adopted brood.
“Such a special girl taking great care of these babies while mama cat is out getting some food and water. These babies are well loved and very well taken care of!” Williams wrote on Instagram.
Williams said the hen sleeps with the kittens “every night.”
“We got our barn cats in the summer of 2024. They were raised on a farm with chickens and turkeys and were familiar with poultry,” Williams told Storyful. “Many cats will k**l and eat chickens, so having cats that wouldn’t harm the animals was very important to us,” she said.
-Storyful/Yahoo News
02

via Mayson Williams/@farmer.jo.homesteading via Storyful
It's amazing how females automatically just share responsibilities, regardless of species.
-Chrystyna Lapychak
Yep. One of our cat would go in the chicken coop and sleep among them. It’s the best mutual protection deal.
-William Smith
The animal world is so intriguing and funny all at once. If only humans can live in understanding and unity like this, irrespective of our differences
-Adetutu ⚘Oluwatumininu
03

via Mayson Williams/@farmer.jo.homesteading via Storyful
One of the things we love most about cats is their willingness to coparent or adopt animals of other species. As self-proclaimed cat expurrts over here at I Can Has Cheezburger?, we have a purrfectly stash of stories of cats and their unusual pawrenthood tendencies. We've seen cats adopt baby otters before, co-pawrent puppies with the family dog, and cats turning into the purrfect mothers for baby goats. Now, it's this black cat's turn to take a bit of a breather while her hen friends babysit her kittens. When you're a single pawrent, you don't say no to free help. Especially when they love your babies just as much as you do!
04

via Jennifer Blount

Sleepy Barn Cat next to a bucket curry comb and horse brush
Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
It’s all cool untill one of those kittens start laying eggs as an adult.
-bigredleo
If chickens & cats can be friends, the rest of us have no excuse!
-WWWendy
I guess you could say those kittens are being raised free range. I need a 24/7 livestream of this immediately. Does this make them honorary chicks now?
-Mazi okwuoma
05

via Mayson Williams/@farmer.jo.homesteading via Storyful
We're all for meowdern families here at Cheezburger. Who says hens and a cat can't raise kittens? As long as the kittens don't grow up to start laying eggs, we think everything is fine. In fact, they might grow up to make the best barn cats because they will be purrfectly protective of their hen aunties. No fox, coyote, or dog will get anywhere near their feathered family!
06

via cosmicgirl90

Chicken & Cat
Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.
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via Mayson Williams/@farmer.jo.homesteading via Storyful