KittenCare.com: Readers Write to Simba!

Dear Simba,
My daughters rescued 3 kittens that were about 2 to 3-weeks-old that a person was tossing them into the street. We found a caring home for two and had one left which we kept.

We have previously adopted many unwanted pets and had found homes for those we could not keep. However, we have a house full of animals and are a bit dysfunctional...so I said no cats. Besides that, our 7-year-old dog, Kaylee, has never made friends with our one cat. Kaylee was a rescue at 6 weeks of age. That was Friday afternoon.

On Friday night a kitten snuck into our home after a neighbor realized how much work this little one was. After spotting the kitten my kids bought some KMR formula - #Ad - and a real baby bottle (not knowing any better) and by Saturday morning we were reluctant foster parents, with the kitten encamped in the kids' room.

Knowing that this was not a long term solution, I decided that the kitten and the dog had to meet, lest we live in constant fear of the kitten (now named Boo) being eaten and that mistrust develope between the two.

Well, it turned out that Kaylee recognized the kitten as a baby cat and fell in love with her. Within a few minutes Kaylee cleaned the kitten's privates, and allowed the now happy kitty to nurse. By Sunday Kaylee was lactating and by Monday her breasts were swollen with milk.

The kitten's condition improved dramatically. On Saturday morning Boo had diarrhea and a tiny amount of blood around its rectum (but not in stool, when it pooped). After nursing, Boo's stool was loose but was no longer diarrhea. There was no longer any blood either.

We took the kitten to the vet on Monday since Boo brought in some fleas.Our vet treated both dog and cat with a yellow wormer medicine and gave us Flea & Tick Shampoo, 12ozfor Boo - #Ad. He was not too supportive of Kaylee nursing Boo. He had little into to back up his idea that it was wrong, though he did say that he could not rule out future problems for Kaylee and asked whether I would feed my baby dog milk.

Kaylee and Boo are still playing mom and daughter with dog/kitty nursing twice a day, at 11 am and then again in the late evening.

The rest of the day Boo gets formula from a tiny bottle. It has been two weeks and all is well. If anything this has been wonderful for Kaylee, since she never had pups and is now getting to be a mommy.

what is interesting also is that the kitten is a bit of a bully and beats up Kaylee. Eventually I think the dog will have to lay down the law and teach it some manners, no? Now, each of my 3 kids will have to spend much time on your site before I decide that this little one will stay here... Regina

Dear Regina,
What a wonderful story!! I do sure that Boo and Kaylee can stay together and become long time friends. Simba

ROYAL CANIN FELINE HEALTH NUTRITION Kitten Instinctive thin slices in gravy canned cat food, 3oz, 24-Pack

All contents are intended for entertainment purposes only. Pet owners should in no way use this site's content as a substitute for the opinions of a veterinarian or other qualified pet health provider. Owners should consult a veterinarian or other qualified pet health provider for all pet health matters. All pet care is the responsibility of the owner. Note, as an Amazon Associate, Kittencare.com earns commission from qualifying purchases.

Dog Nurses Kitten: Kaylee & Boo