Mothers have strong protective instincts. Ask any mother out there and they would gladly tell you that they can walk through fire for the sake of their children. And this is true even for animals. A mother cat has gone viral after she risks her life by going in and out of the burning building five times just to save her poor kittens.

A beautiful cat named Scarlett estimated to be nine months old, lived in Brooklyn, New York. She was just one of the mother cats in the world who had given birth to a litter of kitties that year. But something is special about Scarlett that will surely make you love her too.

One day, the building where Scarlett and her kitties were sheltering was caught in a fire. She knew that she needed to save her babies so she braved the fire, going in and out of the building five times until she was able to bring all of them out to safety. One at a time, she carried her little kittens to safety not minding that her body is suffering from burns that nearly cost her life.

Scarlett’s story reached the internet and in no time, she became viral. Her story caught the worldwide media’s attention. In fact, she was featured in many books by different authors. She also became the featured animal in the North Shore Animal League’s fundraising and public awareness campaigns and efforts. North Shore Animal League is the shelter that treated Scarlett and her kittens when she was rescued by firemen that day.

According to reports, the cause of the fire that burned the building was unknown. However, the city of New York is aware that the abandoned garage where Scarlett was sheltered was allegedly used as a crack house. The city received a call about the fire so the New York City Fire Department came to extinguish it.

And when the fire was under control, a firefighter named David Giannelli noticed Scarlett carrying her kittens, one by one, from the garage. He noticed that Scarlett’s eyes were blistered shut, her paws and ears were burned, and her coat was badly singed. But it seemed like she did not feel any pain while trying to rescue her kittens. Once Scarlett all of her kittens out of the building, she touched each one of them with her nose to make sure they were all there.

Then she collapsed and unconscious probably from the pain.

Only one kitten did not survive out of all that Scarlett had rescued. Three months later, Scarlett and the surviving kittens were ready for adoption. It did not take long for her to be adopted by a woman who would only accept special needs cats. Over the years, Scarlett had to deal with multiple health issues. But despite everything, she lived a happy life.

On October 15, 2008, the North Shore Animal League announced that Scarlett had passed away. She may be gone but her legacy lives on. We will never forget her courage. The story of how this mother cat braved the fire just to save her kittens will forever be passed on to the next generations. Scarlett is the true description of how a mother would risk her life for the love of her children.