A cat who was found with three kittens under a balcony, decided to come out from hiding one day and learn to trust.

Late last year, Steph and Francis from Montreal, Canada noticed a couple of shiny orbs glaring under their neighbor’s balcony one night. Upon inspection, they discovered kittens hopping around the area.

They saw two little ones dawdling under their cramped refuge, and right behind them, lay a timid cat mother huddling with her third fur child.

As soon as Steph placed some food in front of them, the kittens swarmed over to it and scarfed it down voraciously. The cat mom eventually worked up the courage to have her share of the nourishment. She was so hungry that even fear couldn’t stop her.

When one of the kittens started to venture out into the road, Steph rushed to get him while the other two retreated back to their hideout. With one kitten brought to safety, Steph returned the next morning for the rest of the family.

She came back with a humane trap, and in just one hour, the tabby mom walked in. They rounded up the two kittens and transported the family of four to their local rescue, Chatons Orphelins Montréal.

“The cat mom was named Madison. She was very scared but didn’t have a mean bone in her body. She joined her kittens in their foster home with Sadja and Charlotte to be socialized,” Celine Crom of Chatons Orphelins Montréal shared with Love Meow.

For a while, Madison would wedge herself between a wall and a bed, trying to remain hidden. While her kittens settled beautifully into indoor life, Madison was still wary of people and continued staying in her hideaway.

Sadja and Charlotte talked to her every day, and attempted to pet her gently on her forehead. They were met with hisses that eventually subsided as Madison realized head scritches were quite soothing.

They gave Madison the time she needed and waited for her to progress on her own terms. When Madison moved into a cat bed, it was a baby step that they all celebrated.