Labs and Baby Kittens
A couple of years ago, I had the blessing of nursing several sets of newborn kittens. It was hard work, but I had help. Besides the obvious sources of help, kids who liked to bottle feed and coddle, my yellow lab was irreplaceable during this time.
The first set that I was presented with had just opened their eyes and had been without their mother for several hours. I opened the box they were in and they started their signature high pitched, frantic mewing. My lab looked in, surveyed the situation and sniffed and licked little tiny heads. His attention and warmth drew them to him immediately.
So after I fed all the empty bellies, I asked Beau to lay down. I sat the babies next to him and they immediately snuggled in to him. He laid there for a very long time, occasionally sniffing, and lots of nestling and licking.
The second set that came my way was even younger. When the box arrived home with new new babies, Beau knew the routine,. He wagged and waited to see inside. He surveyed, sniffed and licked and waited for his turn with the kittens.
These babies were not ready for the litter box. This is where Beau was a huge help. I tried to encourage them to go with a warm, wet wash cloth. I was not as successful as I needed to be. Beau watched me and seemed to understand. I had him try and he was very successful. We had their plumbing working correctly for a week before they were ready for a go at the litter box. They probably would not have made it without his assistance.
Beau kept up with the babies, cleaned them, kept them warm and guarded them. His sweet labrador retriever nature was invaluable as I tried to save little lives. Never once did I fear leaving him alone with them. He never showed any aggression or jealousy or rough behavior. What it also did was prepare the young kittens for homes with dogs. They never saw him as a threat.
As they grew and I started looking for good homes, they gave Beau no peace. They would get a running start and jump on him. They would constantly jump out on him whenever he tried to cross the room, ran under his feet, chased his tail, ate his food, bit his ears, and hung from his neck. He was always patient and sweet.
Beau and I were successful at raising these little gifts from newborns to young kittens ready for homes. It is a time I will never forget and will always be thankful to Beau for his part.
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This article was written by Caroline Oldham of http://dogtrainingonlinetips.com - your online source for training tips, real life stories and advice in dealing with dogs.
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