mother cat's affection for her children
This is my newborn kitten, they can not afford to fight alone, therefore they need their mothers to meet all the needs of their children. Of course kittens need food, so kittens need to feed their mothers to get nutrition before they are old enough to eat solid food.
the cat lady will continue to keep her children safe from predators, lick and clean them, and lick their eyes to encourage them to open their eyes when in time.