Mittens, a 4-year-old Pekingese, nurses Bootsie, a stray kitten, on Monday, Sept. 24, 2012, in Jordan, Minn. Mittens’ owner, Pat Weber, says the kitten was just days old when her grandson found it in their pole barn and brought it into their house. Mittens hadn’t had a litter for two years, but allowed the kitten to suckle and began producing milk three days later, and has nursed Bootsie since. The family’s veterinarian says it’s unusual but not unheard of for a dog to nurse a cat. (AP Photo/Jeff Baenen)
September 24, 2012 - 11:05 PM
JORDAN, Minn. - A Minnesota woman says she was shocked when her small dog began caring for an abandoned kitten, then started producing milk and nursing the fuzzy grey stray to health.
Pat Weber says the kitten was days old when her grandson found it in the family's barn in early September in Jordan, about 40 miles southwest of Minneapolis.
She says the 2-inch-long kitten was "ice cold." But she felt it move, so she wrapped the kitten in a warm towel. Then it began meowing — and her 4-year-old Pekingese perked up.
The tawny pooch named Mittens began licking the kitten, who nuzzled in and began suckling. Mittens hadn't had puppies in two years, yet she eventually began producing milk. She's been nursing the kitten ever since.
Weber calls it a miracle.
News from © The Associated Press, 2012