There are a very few things in this world that could compare to the eternal love a mom feels for her babies. Laying an eye on her newborns for the first time is a moment filled with emotions, and the instinct emerging from it – that’s just beyond words!
When Kela, the Great Dane mix mama, first had her ten babies at Jackson County Animal Shelter, in Jackson, Michigan, it was a joyful sight. This big doggo girl was a loving mom right off the bat, but no one at that moment knew that she had room in her heart for more!
One day, she heard a furry baby crying in the hallway and immediately rushed to adopt what turned out to be the 11th baby into her litter…
Kela Had 10 Healthy Puppies Under The Shelter’s Care
This big doggo girl came from the Van Buren County shelter in Michigan. At first, she was described as timid and quite selective, which is why the staff decided to keep her near the front by the office so she could re-socialize.
Source: Jackson County Animal Shelter
During the first several days in the shelter, the caregivers noticed that she was lying in a pool that was too small for her and her puppies to be, so they decided to reach out to the community for help.
In just a few short hours, people responded and got Kela a bigger pool, and the very next day, she had ten healthy puppies.
Source: Jackson County Animal Shelter
She was a special mom right away, caring a lot about her babies and cleaning them as soon as they were delivered.
Source: Jackson County Animal Shelter
Still, no one in the shelter could believe that she would be that gian-hearted, but it happened! Even after having a family of her own, she couldn’t resist helping an unusual baby herself.
And, as for her timid nature – it didn’t exist anymore!
Gravitational Pull Towards A Motherless Kitten
She was on the other side of the door when a little kitten was brought in from the street. According to Lydia Sattler, the director of the JCAS shelter, Kela started scratching the floor as soon as she heard the kitten crying.
Source: M Live
When they opened it to see what Kela wanted, she immediately ran over to the kitten and started sniffing and nursing it. Turns out her mom instinct kicked in and she needed to soothe a crying baby, just like she did with her own puppies.
She literally didn’t take her eyes off the kitten, so the staff decided to experiment a little. They put a tiny kitten in Kela’s pool to see her reaction, and as soon as that happened – Kela returned back to the pool, laid back down, and started cleaning her.
Source: Jackson County Animal Shelter
It turns out – Kela wanted a kitten to be a part of her litter as soon as she heard her crying. She embraced her and made her one of her babies, despite the fact that this little feline infant was completely different.
Everyone was astonished to see this mom dog being a real mama to the abandoned kitten, but Kela didn’t want to leave her, nor did the kitten want to go somewhere else.
The Whole Family In A Foster Home
Source: Jackson County Animal Shelter
A few days later, the shelter staff needed to move Kela and her babies to a foster home. After a thorough process of finding the pawfect temporary home for this big family, Kela and the babies settled down! And, the kitten went with them, too!
“Kela finally chose her foster home (she was quite selective)! After turning down several great offers, she, along with her puppies and kitten, are settling into their own little paradise!”
Goodbye, Little Feline Sister
Everything went well for this unusual pawdorable family until one day, not even a month after she was born, the little kitten passed away due to a possible genetic condition.
Everyone was devastated to hear the bad news, but the staff believes the reason why she was abandoned in the first place was a common instinct in cat moms who know when there’s something wrong with their baby, and that was the case here.
“Kela loved and cared for him as if he were her own, and we couldn’t have asked for a better caregiver,” they wrote.
We’re happy that the kitten had the opportunity to feel what true mom love feels like, at least for several short weeks…
And, it’ll take some time for Kela and her doggo siblings to get used to life without their feline sister, as she has a special place in everyone’s heart.
Rest in peace little kitten.
And, as for Kela and the puppies – we wish them a lifetime of joy and the pawfect home as soon as possible!
