A mom always knows what’s best for her family — and that’s true of animals, too.

Recently, a stray cat named Mama Ally decided she’d had enough of the streets and brought her family to a place she knew they’d be safe.

The mother cat and her two fluffy, white kittens lined up on the doorstep of a North Carolina family’s home and looked in through the glass, patiently waiting to be noticed.

When the homeowner saw Mama Ally with her months-old kittens, she called Sparkle Cat Rescue for help. The rescue stepped in to trap the little family and bring them to safety. But it didn’t take long for them to realize that Mama Ally had one more surprise in store — she was pregnant.

The rescue reached out to their partner, Murphy’s Law Animal Rescue, and founder Sarah Kelly about fostering Mama Ally. Kelly immediately agreed to find a comfortable home where the cat could spend her final trimester in comfort.

And Mama Ally made sure to thank her new humans when she arrived.

“She was immediately seeking out attention from her foster, Monica, the second she was welcomed home,” Kelly told The Dodo. “She loves to curl up in her lap, on her arm, wherever she can snuggle into the closest! She will spend the day sleeping on her shoes or clothing that smells like her if she has left the house. She loves people and affection.”

Weeks passed, and Mama Ally proved yet again why she’s Mother of the Year.

“She has the sweetest heart,” Kelly said. “To have cared for her older kittens so long and so well, outside as a stray — seeking out help — she has proven what a heart of gold she has! She gave birth to her five babies like an absolute rockstar and has taken to adoringly caring for them like the best mama in the world.”

Mama Ally’s bonded older kittens have been adopted together, and now, it’s just a matter of finding homes for Ally and her five new babies. And their bright future is all thanks to Ally knowing when it was time to reach out for help.

“Mama Ally is doing great and soaking up all the baby snuggles — and the TLC from her foster,” Kelly said. “We could not be any more thrilled for this family who is getting the second chances and happily-ever-afters they deserve.”