A pet owner was moved to tears after discovering what she thinks might be her cat's sweet tribute to the two kittens she lost at birth.

There is a perception of cats as aloof pets, who rarely show much in the way of emotion, save for the occasional bit of petting with a select few. Felines are seen as solitary pets, preferring to keep a distance from other four-legged residents in the family home, as they go about their day.

But that might not be an entirely accurate portrait of our feline friends. Cats do care and, not only that, there is evidence to suggest that they feel emotions in much the same way any other species do. In 2024, research published in the journal Applied Animal Behavior Science highlighted how cats have been shown to mourn the loss of a fellow pet.

Researchers surveyed a group of cat caregivers regarding their pets' response to the death of another animal. The responses highlighted how felines often engaged in less sleeping, playing and eating following the loss of another pet. They also sought more attention, spent time alone and were often found appearing to look for their lost companions.

If that's how a cat reacts to the death of a fellow pet, then you can only imagine their response to the loss of a kitten. Aline, a TikTok user from Chicago, Illinois, is convinced her cat still thinks about the two kittens she lost and has even found a way to pay her respects.

Earlier this month, Aline marked the annual Day of the Dead celebrations with a traditional ofrenda. Derived from the Spanish words for "offering" and "altar," each year offerings are placed on them to pay respects to deceased loved ones.

This year, Aline went all out with her ofrenda, yet it was the surprise contribution of her cat that ended up taking center stage in a video she posted to TikTok under the handle @always.aline.

In the clip posted to the social-media platform, Aline said how she was crying after checking her ofrenda only to notice that her cat "who lost two babies at birth" had left "her favorite toy for her little ones."

The camera pans across the ofrenda, zooming in on a plush green sock that has been left, perhaps intentionally, among the other adornments. It could all be a coincidence of course, but the mere sight of the toy was enough to get Aline welling, with viewers on TikTok also reacting in a similar vein.

"She can see them," one posted, with Aline responding: "That's what I like to think." Another commented: "they say because animals have heightened senses it's possible they feel or even see those who are gone when we can't."

Elsewhere, one fellow pet owner shared a similar story, writing: "My cat hopped on the ofrenda table and kissed the photo of Penny, my cat that died and sat next to her paw print for several minutes and hopped down."

Another added: "One of my cats often leaves her toys on the offering plate on my witchy alter and it always warms my heart." Whether true or not, this unusual moment appeared to touch the hearts of many fellow pet owners who have experienced the love and loss of an animal friend. Newsweek has reached out to @always.aline for comment via TikTok.