One summer day, Lisianne was out in her yard when she noticed a fluffy black cat strolling around close. She set out a dish of food and water for the cat, who belonged to a colony of stray cats near her home in Québec, Canada, and appeared hungry.

Lisianne called the cat Usagi, and the two established a routine in which Lisianne would leave food for the waiting cat, and Usagi grew to trust her more and more with each passing day. Usagi’s stomach began to expand, and Lisianne understood it wasn’t due to her new diet.

“With this pattern, the lady gained confidence, and the kitten began to approach,” a local rеscuе group, Chatons Orphelins Montréal, stated on Facebook. “The kitten gave birth outside, but she returned every day to feed,” said the owner.

After a few weeks, Usagi decided it was time to meet Lisianne and her family. The cat brought out each of her six kittens one at a time until they were all lined up on Lisianne’s doorstep. The 6-week-old kittens resembled tiny replicas of their mother, and the little family was clearly in need of assistance.

Lisianne coaxed the mom and babies into her house and called the rеscuе group Chatons Orphelins Montréal.

“The mom and her six babies were finally safe,” Chatons Orphelins Montréal wrote. “[Lisianne] decided to keep the mom [and] treated and spayed her and one of her friends took one of the kittens under her wing.”

Rescue workers learned Usagi had pleaded for assistance just in time at the shelter. The remaining kittens developed conjunctivitis and were having trouble breathing. They were able to be treated by the veterinarian, and their condition immediately improved. As they recovered, they became more acclimated to being around people.

“The babies were shy and needed to be socialized,” Chatons Orphelins Montréal explained. “They began to trust and emerge from their shells. “The small ones enjoy having a good time together.”