A stray kitten has found a new mother in a golden retriever, who began producing milk for the little feline after hearing its cries.
Honey - the golden retriever - had not given birth in 18 months, but after her owner, Jimmy Martin, brought home the kitten, she suddenly found herself playing the role of mother.
"She started licking her and loving her. Within a couple of days, Honey started naturally lactating," said Kathy Martin, Jimmy's wife. "The kitten took right to her, and she started nursing her."
Photo:AP
Jimmy Martin noticed the kitten, whom the family dubbed "Precious," about six weeks ago, when she ran in front of his concrete truck. After following her and realizing there was no mother cat in sight, he took her home.
The kitten refused to drink from a bottle, and Jimmy's mother, Ruth Martin, feared Precious would die.
The family initially tried to keep Precious and Honey apart, fearing the dog would play too rough with the little gray-striped kitten. But Honey was elated at Precious' presence, wagging her tail and prancing all over the house trying to sneak a peak at her.
Eventually, the family let Honey approach Precious, and the dog immediately took to her.
The Martins said they told a veterinarian about Honey and Precious and learned that interspecies nursing does happen on rare occasion.
Precious now sometimes plays with dog bones, and Honey lets Precious gnaw on her like a puppy would.
"She thinks she's a dog," Kathy Martin said. "She's really fit right in." (AP)
有隻流浪小貓咪找到了一個黃金獵犬新媽媽。這隻黃金獵犬在聽到小貓的哭聲後,開始分泌奶水餵飽小貓。
這隻黃金獵犬叫做「甜心」,一年半前生產完後沒有再懷孕哺乳,但在她的飼主吉米.馬騰將這隻流浪小貓帶回家後,忽然激發了她的母性,於是她扮演起母親的角色。
「甜心一開始很愛護這隻小貓,還為牠舔毛。幾天後,甜心很自然地開始分泌乳汁,」吉米的太太凱西說:「這隻小貓和甜心一拍即合,甜心也就開始照顧這隻小貓。」
吉米約在六週前在他的混凝土卡車前發現這隻小貓。吉米跟了小貓一段路發現她沒有媽媽之後,就把這隻小貓帶回家。他們家為小貓咪取了一個名字,叫做「喵寶」。
小貓咪一開始不肯用奶瓶喝奶,吉米的母親茹絲還很擔心喵寶會因此餓死。
一開始,他們試圖把喵寶和甜心分開飼養,因為他們擔心體型高大的黃金獵犬甜心玩的時候太粗魯,會不小心傷到這隻灰色條紋相間的小貓咪。但是甜心對於喵寶的到來感到非常開心,她快樂地搖著尾巴在屋子裡跑來跑去想要偷瞧小貓一眼。
最後,吉米一家人決定讓甜心接觸喵寶,而甜心也立刻就愛上這隻小貓了。
馬騰一家表示,他們跟獸醫說了甜心和喵寶的事,得知不同種的動物相互哺育的情況很少見。
喵寶現在偶爾會玩狗骨頭玩具,甜心也讓喵寶像小狗一樣在她身上啃咬。
「喵寶以為她是一隻狗呢,」凱西說:「她實在是很樂在其中。」(美聯社/翻譯:袁星塵)
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