A mother cat in China has adopted a mouse, letting it join her family of newborns.

The cat was brought into a children's clothing store to catch mice, reports Yanzhao City News.

Ten days ago, the cat gave birth to five kittens.

"She stays in the box all day long, taking care of her babies, but three days ago, my colleague found a small mouse playing with the kittens," said a spokesperson for the store in Shijiazhuang city.

"The cat was protecting the mouse, and would become alert if anyone came too close."

The store staff threw the mouse out once, but immediately the cat ran to bring it back and let it play with her kittens.

Experts say it's quite exceptional, but that maybe the cat became lenient after becoming a mother.