A caring mother cat carried her five kittens to safety after a snake was found next to their bed.

The 3ft long pit viper slithered into the downstairs room in Songkhla, southern Thailand, last Thursday (Feb 13) morning.

Restaurant owner Duen Wongjongrak, 49, noticed all her per cats were frightened by the venomous reptile, which was hiding under a wardrobe next to their box.

She called the emergency services and while the reptile catchers were capturing the snake, mother cat Tangmo was seen lifting each of her kittens out of their box.

Footage shows the moggy, named Tangmo, carrying each of her babies up the stairs to safety.

Her owner, Duen, said: "Tangmo and her kittens were frightened by the snake. It came into the house from the forest outside.

"I'm so relieved that none of the kittens were harmed by the viper. I'm happy seeing their mother taking care of them with her natural motherly instinct.''

All of the kittens were safe and the snake was put in a sack before being released into the woods.

Several months of dry weather has caused many swamps and streams in the country to dry up, leading to a loss of habitat and food source for snakes. Animal workers believe this is why increasing numbers of the reptiles are venturing into homes in search of food and water.