Senior Male Cat And Dog Become Unlikely Surrogates To Orphaned Kittens
One of the most painful things to hear is when an baby animal gets orphaned. So many things can lead to it - from accidents to neglect, but it's always heartbreaking. That's why adoption stories are always our favorites. And this adoption story in particular is one of the most unique and heartwarming we've ever heard of.
A senior male tomcat and a female dog who adopt litters of kittens. Yeah, get the tissues, everyone, this one will get you right in your heart.
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According to Global News, "Two Alberta animal rescues have found their alumni are so grateful for their second leases on life, they want to give back by helping other animals in need." Of course, they are talking about the adorable cat and dog who are about to warm everyone's hearts.
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The surrogate father comes from Furget Me Not Rescue in Edmonton. His name is Garth, and he was always known as a rough and tumble kind of outdoor cat. The rescue's founder, Christine Koltun, explined: "He was a stray for a few years at a housing complex out in Abbostfield and every winter he started to look worse and worse. But he was evading any traps anyone set out for him."
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It was during Easter 2020 that Garth ended up at the doorstep of a Furget Me Not volunteer. He had several injuries: bad ear mites, a limp and a few broken teeth. To take care of him, the volunteer took Garth to the City of Edmonton's Animal Care and Control. "We thought for sure he'd be a prime euthanasia candidate because he was a senior cat in really terrible condition. But animal control really wanted to fight to save him if we would commit to finding him a home after," Koltun told Global News. And she did save him.
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Walking into Koltun's house changed his life forever. "Kittens just charged us — which tends to happen when you're here. And I was anticipating the worst, but as soon as they got close, he started to purr. That was the moment when Garth became Grandpa Garth," she said. "I have to say, in my 23 years of rescue, I've never experienced this from a senior male tomcat. It was a huge shock to all of us." After that, Koltun could do nothing but adopt the adorable tomcat, and he became the only feline rescue that stayed with her permanently.
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"He hasn't been away from kittens for a moment since that day. He loves them," Koltun said. "He's my only full-time employee. We pay him in Temptations (treats) and sardines." Grandpa Garth has since then cuddles over 500 cats. "While he can't be a food source for them, he's the source of everything else. He's the source of nurturing, comfort, he'll cuddle with them and bathe them. He carries them around the house sometimes," she said.
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"He seems to know the ones that are needing him the most: that are frail, that are sick, that are probably not going to make it. Those are the ones he spends the most time with." You can follow Grandpa Garth on his Instagram account. His story is inspiring others to adopt and take care of senior pets, and we think that's amazing. "I hope when people see him, they're more willing to give senior pets a chance because they do have a lot of love left to give — and unfortunately those are the ones most often overlooked."
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the surrogate momma comes in the form of a female dog from Saving Grace Animal Society. Amanda McClughan, Saving Grace's development director, said: "Mo has always gravitated towards babies. Whether they are human babies, dogs or cats, she was an amazing mother to her litter of puppies when she was at my house with them and she's just a really loving dog all around."
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Mo came to the rescue when she was pregnant about four months ago. McClughan, falling in love with the dog's personality, ended up adopting her. One day, McClughan brought home a bunch of two-week-old kittens. "We got a call from a lady. She had found five kittens in a bag in her garage. She didn't own a cat. She hadn't seen any cats around. She had been trying to locate the mother cat for a few days and bottle feeding them on her own," she explained.
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The mother cat that McClughan was fostering at the time had no interest in the newly born kittens who had to be bottle fed regularly, but thankfully, Mo did. "They were all crying and it was feeding time so I was going to go and feed them. I let Mo into the room and she immediately just jumped in with them, cleaning them, kissing their faces and just making sure they were ok. Whenever she's not in with them, most of the time she's sitting at their door, just making sure they're ok."
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Neither Grandpa Garth nor Mo can feed their kittens, but that hasn't stopped the kittens from trying. "Just being a mom in general, no matter what species you are, you just have that connection to wanting to nurture, wanting to help. That is Mo to a T." To help with the feeding, McClughan will introduce them to a cat mom whose kittens all unfortunately passed. "Kind of hope that her and Mo can co-parent them," McClughan laughed.
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For more heartwarming animal adoptions, you can read about the heartbroken dog who lost her entire litter adopting kittens and caring for them.
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