Rescue Dog Takes a Kitten into Her Litter Pack and Starts Nursing Him at Animal Shelter

A kind rescue dog has stepped into an unusual role and is now taking care of an abandoned kitten at the Jackson County Animal Shelter.

Last month, a pregnant Kela moved to the Jackson Country Animal Shelter from another shelter because they were not equipped to care for a soon-to-be mother dog and her puppies, the shelter’s animal services director, Lydia Sattler, told People.

The Jackson Country Animal Shelter planned to place Kela into a foster home to give birth to the puppies, but the pregnant dog was “very scared and would not let anyone get close to her when she first arrived at the shelter,” Sattler said.

They moved Kela into one of the office spaces to try to make her more comfortable and get to know the staff. Kela warmed up to them and at the end of Marhc, she gave birth to ten healthy puppies. Then, several days later, someone brought in an abandoned male kitten that they had found outside. When the kitten arrived, they brought him back to the office for a vet exam and a bottle.

The kitten was crying inside the box, and Kela heard him and was scratching at the door to get into the room, according to Sattler. At first, the workers didn’t know what Kela wanted, but once they opened the door, she ran in and stuck her head inside the box where the kitten was.

“I went and picked up the kitten, not knowing what Kela was doing. She tried to take him out of my hand and would not take her eyes off him. She also would not leave the kitten to go back to her puppies,” Sattler said.

They decided to place the kitten with Kela’s puppies to help the dog calm down, and as soon as she was added to the puppy pile, she laid down and started to clean him.

“Kela was finally content to stay with her puppies again once the kitten was in there with them. We tried to take him out to give him a bottle, and Kela again would not leave his side,” Sattler added.

“He is so content to be cleaned, warm, and snuggled. We haven’t heard him cry since!” Sattler said.

Kela started nursing the baby cat as well and made him a part of her pack. The other puppies don’t seem to mind the cat either.

“They don’t have their eyes open yet, so they will be surprised to see he looks a little different. I wonder if they will notice! They all snuggle together and nurse side by side! I think it is fair to say the whole litter will be great with cats when they are ready for adoption,” Sattler says.

The kitten will reportedly stay with Kela until he is weaned. Once the kitten and puppies are weaned, all of them will be available for adoption at the Jackson County Animal Shelter.

We encourage everyone thinking of getting a pet to only adopt instead of shopping. Read more resources about adopting animals on One Green Planet, including 7 Reasons to Adopt Your Next Furry Best Friend, 5 Reasons Why Everyone Should Adopt a Pet, and These Heartwarming Before and After Pictures of Adopted Rescue Animals Will Make Your Day! Read tips for pet adoptions and what to consider before adopting an animal. We recommend using these apps to find shelter dogs near you!

Best Things In Life Are Rescued Tee By Tiny Rescue: Animal Collection