A shelter was surprised and delighted when a new mama dog took an abandoned kitten under her care. And it wasn’t that they asked her to do it, she demanded it!
In late March, Kela, a “very pregnant” Great Dane mix, came into the care of Jackson County Animal Shelter in Michigan. She had arrived from another shelter in the State because their shelter was better set up to take care of newborn puppies.
Although, upon her arrival, staff realized they didn’t have a kiddie pool big enough for the expecting mama! So the first thing they did was ask for a bigger one. Their supporters immediately helped out and they got a bigger pool delivered just in time because Lela gave birth the very next day.
A few days later, Kela and her 10 pups were all doing well but an abandoned kitten wasn’t.
A baby kitten had been brought in by a Good Samaritan after he had been found all alone. After his vet exam, they brought him to their office spaces to hand feed him. He was crying in a box when his mewls caught Kela’s attention. Kela was staying in a nearby office and ran over to the office with the kitten.
“She wouldn’t leave the door leading to the kitten,” JCAS wrote in a Facebook comment. “We knew [she’d] just [eaten], [had] water, already went out to potty minutes earlier … but [she] kept scratching at the door.”
The staff opened the door and Kela barged right in.
“We opened it up to ask what she wanted, and she ran straight to the kitten in the box,” JCAS continued. “We didn’t offer her the kitten, she insisted that she needed him.”
It was clear Kela wasn’t going to leave the room without her new baby. Lydia Sattler, the shelter’s animal services director, told People. “I opened the door to ask her what was wrong, and she immediately ran past me to the kitten. She stuck her head right in the box. 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.”
So Sattler decided to take the kitten back to Kela’s puppies. As soon as the kitten was put down Kela began to clean him.
“We put the kitten in her pool, and only then did she lay back down in the pool with all her babies,” JCAS wrote. “She instantly started cleaning him. It was 100 [percent] her idea, and she wasn’t taking no for an answer.”
Jackson County Animal Shelter – Michigan
The arrangement is working out really well for the kitten. Sattler said that the kitten snuggles with the pups and will stay with his adoptive mama until he’s weaned. And Kela, her puppies, and kitten are now in the comfort of a foster home.
JCAS wrote, “Kela FINALLY chose her foster home! (She was quite selective) After turning down several great offers, she, along with her puppies AND kitten are settling into their own little paradise! We are so grateful for our amazing community that opens their hearts and homes to our pets! Thank you!!”
Once the puppies are also weaned, the entire family will be up for adoption. Visit the Jackson County Animal Shelter website for further information.
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