It's Mom Cat to rescue of tiny puppy

This tale, with its possibility of a happy ending, is all too rare during this time of year at the Citrus County Animal Shelter.

By MARY ANN KOSLASKY

© St. Petersburg Times, published April 20, 2000

INVERNESS -- Spring brings flowers, warm temperatures -- and a surge of abandoned puppies and kittens to the Citrus County Animal Shelter.

[Times photo: Steve Hasel] Jake, an abandoned puppy, has been taken in my Mom Cat. Although nursing has been difficult, the puppy is benefiting from the closeness, says a shelter technician.

Shelter technician Debbie Ward knows the pain of dealing with these discarded animals.

"Some of them come in so covered with fleas it's almost impossible to tell what color they are," said Ward. And some of them never make it, arriving so weak and anemic there is little or no hope of survival, she said.

This is the story of an American Staffordshire terrier mix named Jake Jr. and a mother cat who saw a puppy that needed help and took him under her paw, so to speak.

Jake was one of eight puppies dumped in the woods this week near Lee's Coffee Shop in Floral City. His estimated age is 31/2 weeks, not even old enough to eat on his own.

But Jake is a survivor.

When the puppies were brought in, one was dead, one was comatose and five others were so weak, anemic and covered in fleas that they just gave up and died.

Not sure what to expect, Ward cleaned up the puppy and introduced Jake to the gray and white cat who was nursing three recently born kittens. Barely more than a kitten herself, Mom Cat is about 7 or 8 months old.

"If they're good mommies, they'll do it (accept other babies)," said Ward. Mom Cat is a good mommy.

"This is one of those mommies who will take them all," said Ward while watching the brindled brown and white pup nuzzle into his foster mother. The three black and white kittens cuddled next to him. Meanwhile, Mom Cat cast a wary eye on the humans watching the unusual family scene. Satisfied they meant no harm, she closed her eyes and dozed.

Jake is on supplemental food. It is difficult for him to attach to the cat's teat because its shape is so different from that of his mother.

"He tries," said Ward. "And she tries to help him. She cuddles him . . . and tries to position herself so he can try to latch onto her."

Ward points out that the puppy's acceptance by the cat is important, but not just because of the feeding. "He's getting some family time," she said. "Like any baby the cuddling is important."

Most animals separated from their mother at such a young age have little chance of survival. Too young to feed on their own, they lack the companionship that socializes them. Like human babies who get little or no attention, they will waste away.

"He'll stay with Mom Cat as long as she tolerates him or until he begins to push the kittens out of the way as he grows larger," Ward said. When that time comes, a volunteer has offered to take Jake home to continue his care until he reaches at least 8 weeks old, the youngest an animal can be placed for adoption.

This is just one story, and maybe it will have a happy ending. But for Ward and all the other shelter workers it is an all too common story, which usually ends sadly.

"This is the time of the year that we're going to have hundreds of puppies and kittens come in here," said Ward. "It is next to impossible to raise a litter in this atmosphere.

"We see the same thing year after year. They cannot survive on their own," she said. "I wish the owners would at least have the heart to bring them in here where we can do the humane thing."

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