Golden Retriever Beams with Pride Over Being 'Mom' To Tiny Kitten
Families don't always look the same. There are endless circumstances when a family may look different than the "traditional" sense, and that includes animals. Sometimes, an unlikely leader takes their place at the head of the family!
For one kitten, it was a Golden Retriever who managed to step up and become the mom she desperately needed. Luckily for the kitten, the dog is actually an incredible mom, and we got to see the evidence on Wednesday, June 5th:
Daisy and her baby kitten are so sweet together. Their little family is the best!
Daisy is just a Golden Retriever looking to have a good time, and she found that in a kitten, Cookie. Their human hasn't told the internet exactly how the pair came to be in each other's lives, but we do know that Cookie does not have a cat mom to turn to anymore, and Daisy has been taking care of the kitty for about two weeks.
Cookie and Daisy have been doing everything together, and Cookie has actually gone so far as to attempt to breastfeed from Daisy. Obviously, it's not really working out, but Daisy doesn't mind her trying; she'll let Cookie do whatever she wants if it soothes her. There's another Golden in the family whose name is Max, but so far, they haven't really met yet. Daisy's a little bit possessive!
Can a Dog Really Raise a Kitten?
A dog taking in an abandoned or orphaned kitten isn't exactly the rarest thing in the world. It doesn't happen often, but it definitely does happen. However, it's kind of confusing: can a kitten really be raised by a dog? Will they learn everything they need to?
For the most part, a kitten who's raised by a dog will get on just fine. They have someone to keep them warm and out of trouble; in other videos, we've seen Daisy picking Cookie up and carrying her like it's nothing. One of the main concerns when a kitten is taken from their mother too early is the fact that they've lost their food source, but a kitten can get all of their nutrients from bottle feeding.
Additionally, kittens need to be kept clean to prevent illness, and without some kind of a caretaker, this can't happen. However, a dog who's taken to a kitten will fill in the grooming duties!
When a kitten loses their mother, another concern is that they're not socializing enough - they may grow up to have issues with separation anxiety, using the litter box, or possessiveness over their toys, spaces, or humans. Having a "foster mom" like Cookie has found in Daisy helps them to grow up with a sense of normalcy, even if their family itself isn't traditional. It's perfectly fine, and Cookie will grow into a very fine young kitten!
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