A motherless kitten has found a new caregiver in a loving dog.
According to Lydia Sattler, the director of animal services at the Jackson Country Animal Shelter, Kela, a heavily pregnant dog, was transferred to the shelter from another one in Michigan in March as the Jackson shelter was better prepared to provide care to both the mother and her puppies.
Sattler stated that at the Jackson County Animal Shelter, the initial plan was to have Kela give birth in a foster home. However, Kela was extremely frightened and did not allow anyone to approach her when she arrived at the shelter.
The animal services director shares that to make Kela more comfortable and familiar with them, they moved her to their office spaces. As a result, Kela became joyful spending time with them throughout the day.
On March 31, Kela gave birth to ten healthy puppies at the Jackson Country Animal Shelter. A few days following this event, a male kitten was brought in by a Good Samaritan. The kitten was found abandoned outside. After the kitten’s arrival, the shelter workers brought him to the offices for bottle feeding and a check-up by a veterinarian.
Kela quickly became aware of the presence of the new arrival in the offices.
According to Sattler, as the kitten waited for his bottle to be warmed up, he was crying in his box. Kela, on the other hand, heard the kitten and began scratching at the door of the room, trying to get in.
The shelter workers were initially confused as to what Kela wanted until they finally opened the door to the room where the abandoned kitten was kept.
According to Sattler, when she opened the door to the room where the abandoned kitten was held, Kela immediately ran past her and stuck her head in the box. When Sattler picked up the kitten, Kela tried to take him from her and refused to take her eyes off the kitten. She was also unwilling to leave the kitten and go back to her puppies.
To help Kela relax, the animal services director made the decision to put the kitten with Kela’s puppies.
Sattler explains that “the moment the kitten was placed among the puppies, Kela immediately lay down and began grooming the kitten.”
According to Sattler, “Once the kitten was added to the puppies’ pile, Kela was finally satisfied to remain with her pups. When they tried to take the kitten out to feed him, Kela refused to leave his side again.”
The kitten, who is yet to be named, has been thriving since he was introduced to Kela’s litter on April 3rd. According to Sattler, “He is very happy being groomed, cozy, and cuddled. We haven’t heard him cry since!”
Kela has not only taken the kitten under her wing, but she has also started nursing the abandoned feline, and the kitten has become a part of her litter. The other puppies in the pack don’t seem to be bothered by the new addition.
According to Sattler, Kela’s puppies haven’t opened their eyes yet, so it remains to be seen whether they will notice the difference in appearance with the kitten. However, they seem to be snuggling together and nursing side by side without any issue. Sattler believes that when the litter is ready for adoption, they will be comfortable around cats.
Kela will nurse the kitten until he is weaned, who was roughly ten days old when he was brought to the shelter.
According to the director of the Jackson County Animal Shelter, the kitten is solely dependent on Kela for food and cleaning as he is not yet weaned. Once the time comes for the kitten and Kela’s puppies to be weaned, they will all be put up for adoption at the Jackson County Animal Shelter.
Read More: Peoplemag