Sue Stubley, from Newmarket, Suffolk, was out walking when she came across a litter of abandoned kittens. Tiny and totally defenseless, she decided to bring them home with her.
While she only intended to keep them until the local cat rescue opened in the morning, it quickly became apparent that her dog Teasel had other ideas.
A remarkable reaction
Just hours after the arrival of the kittens, Sue noticed her 2-year-old Jack Russell was behaving unusually.
Teasel began cleaning the kittens, and within a few hours was even lactating. To her owner's disbelief, the kittens latched on and started feeding, snuggling in contentedly for the night.
Since then, their bond has strengthened even further, explains Teasel's owner. If visitors come to the house, she will pick the kittens up and carry them back to their bed, ensuring her feline family is safe.
Interspecies adoptions
Interspecies adoptions, it seems, occur across the animal kingdom. In 2016 there was the case of a Ukranian cat who took in and cared for two baby squirrels, and in 2019 researchers found that a dolphin had adopted an orphaned whale calf.
Biologist Dr. Rachel Grant explains that adoptions such as these usually occur when the adopting animal responds to certain triggers from the young in question. Adoption is believed to be more likely between similar species, as seen in the case of Teasel and her 6 kittens.
For the time being, she is proving to be the sweetest, most devoted mother. Once weaned, the kittens will all go off to the loving homes that are waiting for them.
