mixed breed dog sniffing tabby kitten on grass

Sick mother cat is fading fast, heroic German Shepherd decides to take action

By Justine Seraphin Country Manager

Published on the 23/05/2025, 07:00

When Luna the tortoiseshell cat arrived at Tierheim Oelzschau, Germany, staff described her as being “closer to death than life”. She was desperate for help.

Her baby, a little kitten named Urmel, was also in trouble, notably with a nasty eye infection.

In fact, when Urmel first arrived at the shelter, his eyes were in such bad shape that he couldn’t even open them.

Hope in sight

Though their recovery was uncertain, the pair was placed into foster care. Luna was too emaciated to feed Urmel herself, so her foster family took over feeding duties by bottle-feeding the little kitten. After taking the proper medication and being fed well, mum and baby regained strength.

The best babysitter

But Luna was still too weak to take on parenting duties by herself. That’s when rescue dog Whiskey, a mixed-breed German Shepherd-type rescue dog, stepped in. When Luna was unable to look after Urmel, Whiskey would keep a watchful eye on the little kitten himself, and would even groom him to make sure he stayed clean.

After such a rough start for the little family, it seems they ended up in the perfect foster home. We wish them the best!

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Frequently asked questions

Will a mother cat abandon her kitten if touched?

Mother cats don't necessarily reject their kittens after they are handled by humans. However, it's still not recommended to tamper with mum's nest or babies - unless of course she needs help in taking care of them.

Find out more about how to care for newborn kittens.

What do I need to know before fostering a kitten?

Fostering cats or kittens is a noble deed but it requires an immense amount of time and effort on your part. You should also consider whether or not your pets (if you have any) would be happy to share their home with newcomers. What's more, you should be emotionally prepared as well - it's very hard not to get attached to fosters!

Find out more about fostering cats or kittens.

How long does it take for a cat to get used to a dog?

This depends on the animals in question! Some pairings will work out within days, others will never get along. As a rule of thumb, you should wait at least a month to gather enough evidence from your pets' interactions before deciding whether or not their relationship will flourish. The best thing to do in prevention is to discuss your new pet's character with the rescue you are getting him/her from, or pick a breed which is likely to get along with other pets.

Find out which dog breeds get along well with cats.