Hearts have melted over a viral video of the moment a deaf cat named Pearl calls out for her kittens.
The touching moment, shared by her foster carer, Sara, on TikTok, shows Pearl’s vocal efforts to reunite with her litter. Sara, who didn’t give her surname, is a British expat fostering Pearl in Dallas, Texas, through the nonprofit Rescue-Me.
“Pearl was found as a stray, severely underweight, pregnant, and unwell. She is deaf and calls out often, as deaf cats rely on feeling the vibrations of their sound waves for comfort and proprioception,” Sara told Newsweek.
In the video, Pearl’s persistent calls reflect her instinct to care for her babies. Thankfully, after a few moments, Sara stepped in, gently handing Pearl one of her kittens, easing the devoted mother’s distress.
@fosterangel3/TikTok
On TikTok, people loved the moment and shared their reactions in the comments. “Such a good mama,” said one commenter. Another wrote, “She is sooo beautiful, my goodness, and an amazing mum too.”
Rescue-Me is a volunteer-run organization in Dallas. Sara hopes the viral video will raise awareness about the group’s efforts and encourage more people to adopt or foster cats.
“We’ve already found homes for four of Pearl’s kittens, but we still have four more waiting to be adopted,” Sara said. The kittens, now eight weeks old, include two white males, one black female, and one gray tortoiseshell female.
Pearl herself is still searching for the right home, having faced a tough recovery after being rescued severely malnourished, with a broken tooth, and suffering from other injuries.
Despite her challenging past, Pearl is adjusting to indoor life, though Sara notes that she is still timid and shows signs of having been mistreated by humans. “It’s heartbreaking to see how scared she gets sometimes,” Sara said.
Caring for a deaf cat like Pearl can be demanding. Deaf cats tend to be very vocal, which may make finding her a permanent home challenging.
“I’m doing my best to keep her awake during the day so she sleeps more at night, but she still shows signs of her old survival instincts,” Sara explained. Pearl will be spayed once she’s finished nursing her kittens.
While Sara hopes to find Pearl a loving home, she’s committed to fostering her as long as needed. “Pearl is special and will need a patient person to adopt her,” she said. “She has my heart, and I will do right by her.”
Pearl’s journey from a malnourished street cat to a devoted mother has touched thousands of viewers, many of whom have admired her resilience and Sara’s dedication to the cats.
As Sara prepares to part with the kittens when they go to their forever homes, she reflects on the emotional roller coaster of the last 11 weeks.
“I’ll have a cry when they go, but I’ll also be very happy knowing they’re going to great homes,” she said.
