Panda the cat was displaying the most adorable affection for a pregnant mom’s belly, and then the baby itself after birth.

Liel Ainmar Assayag chronicled the behavior in a Facebook post, with pictures we’ve compiled for you below. The story is more than touching — it’s magical.

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For nine months, the cat showed an unusual amount of affection for Assayag’s belly – for reasons that, while mysterious, seem fairly self-explanatory.

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“Once I got pregnant she started following me around the house, tucking her head on my belly, purring,” Assayag told Love Meow in an interview. 

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The cat’s attention to the mom’s belly is more than just a show of love. She really looks like she’s guarding it.

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Baby Sean was born healthy and happy a few months ago.

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Though Panda took a little while to get used to the idea of the child being on the outside now, she ended up going back to her old habits — in a slightly different manner.

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“Now, three months later, she jumps on the bed near him, smells him, sits next to him,” Assayag told Love Meow. It’s clearly the beginning of a wonderful new bond between a child and a furry partner in crime.