Motherly instinct apparently crosses the species divide in the animal kingdom.
A local couple counted on their beagle's blind love when they brought four stray kittens to her. Metaphorically speaking, their pooch, named Railey, took the kitties under her floppy ears and has been raising them as her own.
According to the Humane Society of Southern Arizona, the cats' birth mom was a feral cat that lived on Jack and Jerry Huckabee's property. Their dog nursed the kittens for eight weeks, starting when the felines were 2 weeks old. At 10 weeks, the Huckabees gave three of the cats up for adoption.
The Huckabees did keep one cat, naming him Wilbur.
In a press release, the Humane Society said it's rare for a mother dog to care for kittens, and that it's more likely to happen if the dog has had her own litter.
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Contact reporter Phil Villarreal at 573-4130 or pvillarreal@azstarnet.com
