Stray cat named 'Tostada' adopts litter of orphaned baby possums after their mother passed over the rainbow bridge: 'I was truly moved by her kind heart'

Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager

May 1, 2026 11:00 AM EDT

It doesn't need to be Mother's Day for us to celebrate the strength and kindness of all the mothers in the world - even the feline ones.

Cats are truly ameowzing. Not only are they one of the most graceful, beautiful, meowjestic, and loving creatures on the planet, but they are also some of the best mothers around. And with Mother's Day coming up next week, we thought it would be awwppropriate to highlight this unique story of Tostada, the stray cat who adopted a littler of baby possums after their mother passed away.

Baby possums cling to their mother's back for about 2-3 months after being born, which is way longer than we originally thought. That's also a lot of commitment from momma, to not only worry about her own safety, but the safety of her babies, all while they cling to her as she forages for food. Tostada, although clearly not an opossum, still let these little babies hitch a ride on her because they had no one else. It wouldn't be the first time a cat has raised an unusual animal, and it certainly won't be the last.

She struggles under the weight, yet she doesn't complain. Her determination, compassion, and motherly instincts are stronger than any physical feeling she might be expurriencing, and if that doesn't describe what it means to be a mother, we're not sure what does.

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We've covered all sorts of stories here at I Can Has Cheezburger? of cats taking the role of “mother who stepped up” instead of the normal step-mom. One of the most notable was when a momma cat adopted a baby otter, raising it with her own litter of kittens. Another favorite story of ours is Della's, who raised three baby ducklings in addition to her own kittens. Like we said above, it wasn't the first time a cat went out of their way to raise someone else's babies, and we certainly hope it won't be the last. For cats, being a mother doesn't just limit itself to kittens, and we think that's purrfectly beautiful.
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There might be something nice about knowing where your kids are at all times (even if they're on your back 24/7). Once they start gaining the ability to move around (crawl, walk, etc), the second you turn your back to them, they run off and start causing mischief. Those of us with kids know this to be 100% true.
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Stray cat named 'Tostada' adopts litter of orphaned baby possums after their mother passed over the rainbow bridge: 'I was truly moved by her kind heart'

It doesn't need to be Mother's Day for us to celebrate the strength and kindness of all the mothers in the world - even the feline ones.

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