Three years ago a Golden Retriever arrived at our farm in poor condition and homeless. After posting notices nobody seemed to be looking for her. With regular meals and meds, she is a wonderful happy/healthy girl. We do , however, not know her age except the vet thought she was 10+ years. All the cats love her and it is normal for 5 or 6 cats to be curled up with her or lying on top of her for the night. How is that for heating pads. Wellll, this years litter of kittens also loves her. When they were 4 mo's (still nursing) they lost their mother. Yesterday I noticed all four (now 5 mo's)aggressively (looked like) nursing their friend Anni (Orphan Anni). Believe she has had pups but not in last 3 years. I checked her nipples and 4 nipples have been activated and I can express a white (milk??) liquid from each nipple. They were enjoying their snack today again. Can any of you dog lovers explain this, provided anybody believes me?
Senior dog and her cat family
- Thread starter AJ
- Start date
Help Support Miniature Horse Talk Forums:
rabbitsfizz
Well-Known Member
I completely believe you and it is quite a common occurrence in a pack for a bitch to nurses pups not her own- this is what "false pregnancy" is for.
When the Alpha female is in whelp the other ******* mimic and produce milk for her pups, thus one set of puppies (or sometimes two- they are not monogamous!!) will be nursed by three or four females and raised by the pack.
Our Whippet produced milk and raised three leverets a poacher freind of ours found after his dog had taken the mother.
He was devastated as he is very careful about that sort of thing, and brought us the babies.
We made a whelping box, told Tina she had had puppies and waited.
We fed them through the night and by morning she was feeding them.
They were newborn, hardly "furred" and the raising rate for leverets is virtually nil- they do not respond well.
Tina raised two to releasing- we took them back to where they had been found, had them in a hutch with just hay and no handling for two weeks etc- I think they made it, I like to think so.
So, Yes, this is normal behaviour but those kittens should be weaned by that age- give the bitch lots of high protein food and calcium .
Dear dog...where are the PICTURES???????
When the Alpha female is in whelp the other ******* mimic and produce milk for her pups, thus one set of puppies (or sometimes two- they are not monogamous!!) will be nursed by three or four females and raised by the pack.
Our Whippet produced milk and raised three leverets a poacher freind of ours found after his dog had taken the mother.
He was devastated as he is very careful about that sort of thing, and brought us the babies.
We made a whelping box, told Tina she had had puppies and waited.
We fed them through the night and by morning she was feeding them.
They were newborn, hardly "furred" and the raising rate for leverets is virtually nil- they do not respond well.
Tina raised two to releasing- we took them back to where they had been found, had them in a hutch with just hay and no handling for two weeks etc- I think they made it, I like to think so.
So, Yes, this is normal behaviour but those kittens should be weaned by that age- give the bitch lots of high protein food and calcium .
Dear dog...where are the PICTURES???????
carlenehorse
Well-Known Member
OH YES I have a little rat terrier that just loves the kittens. When I bring home a kitten she immediately take it to her kennel and cleans it and than nurses it. She has never had a litter of pups but she produces milk everytime for them. We have brought 3 kittens to her and she has nursed everyone of them.
They eat and sleep together. If anything comes in her yard she will protect that cat just like any mother would.
Carlene
They eat and sleep together. If anything comes in her yard she will protect that cat just like any mother would.
Carlene
laughingllama75
Well-Known Member
Hi,
Just want to share with you that not only do I believe you, I have a maine coon cat that was raised by a dog. :new_shocked: His breeder lost the mother while she was giving birth, and 4 kittens survied the birth. She breeds/shows Shar Pei dogs, and one bitch was really interested in the kittens (she had no puppies at the time). Well, the woman figured what the heck, lets see what the dog does, and let the dog in w/ the kittens. Well, you guessed it......all 4 kittens survived and Andy (my cat) is THE MOST Social cat I have ever owned and he does all sorts of weird things like he will play fetch. :aktion033: If you throw his toy, he will bring it back to you, EVERY time. It sounds cute, but it is not in the middle of the night when you are trying to sleep!
: Of course Maine coons are quite a personable cat anyway, but I do attribute a lot of his personality to being raised by a dog. Good luck with your kittens, and have fun with the little beggers!
:
Just want to share with you that not only do I believe you, I have a maine coon cat that was raised by a dog. :new_shocked: His breeder lost the mother while she was giving birth, and 4 kittens survied the birth. She breeds/shows Shar Pei dogs, and one bitch was really interested in the kittens (she had no puppies at the time). Well, the woman figured what the heck, lets see what the dog does, and let the dog in w/ the kittens. Well, you guessed it......all 4 kittens survived and Andy (my cat) is THE MOST Social cat I have ever owned and he does all sorts of weird things like he will play fetch. :aktion033: If you throw his toy, he will bring it back to you, EVERY time. It sounds cute, but it is not in the middle of the night when you are trying to sleep!
Matt73
Well-Known Member
Awwww. That is sooo cute! That is a great pic!
Question: Why are the kittens still nursing? Five months is equivalent to a teenager. My kittens are almost completely off the nipple at seven or eight weeks! Just curious.
Question: Why are the kittens still nursing? Five months is equivalent to a teenager. My kittens are almost completely off the nipple at seven or eight weeks! Just curious.
Beccy
Well-Known Member
Yes I know this happens too, our old toy poodle (now deceased) once nursed a kitten that we had gotten, even though she had never had puppies in her life. At the time she had not been spayed yet, and I don't know if it was actual milk that she got, but we could express milky looking fluid from her teats. She didn't seem to mind in the least!
Beautiful dog you have, and so glad she found you
Beautiful dog you have, and so glad she found you
