From what I've been told, and I believe its true, male cats are more mothering than older female cats. Why you say?!! I don't know but our Fluffy (around 14 years) has always taken the new ones under him. When Lucky was a baby he washed him and snuggled with him, and when we got Yoshi, Fluffy became his surrogate mother. To this day I will see both Lucky & Yoshi go up to Fluffy, nudge his head then drop to the floor and want to be groomed.

Fluffy is our "mother" cat. he likes to groom Tim & I, too!