From the SPA
By Christine Foster

Mix and match

Leo and kittens

Remember that song in South Pacific, “You’ve got to be taught to be afraid?” This came to mind when I saw the picture of Leo, the bearded collie (a male, no less) not just tolerating, but nurturing tiny kittens at the home of his owner Joan DiPiero. Joan has been a godsend in fostering abandoned baby kittens and putting them on the road to health and adoption, but we can only marvel at Leo’s spontaneous contribution. What he provides is also irreplaceable: a hairy familiarity, an animal heartbeat and other subtle creature-features that offer reassurance to the little orphans.

Turns out cross-species comforting is not so rare. I did a quick web search and came up with recent reports of a foal adopted by a goat; a cat who heard a fawn crying and curled up with it, licking and purring until it slept; dogs and cats nursing everything from rabbits to ferrets; and perhaps most astonishing of all, a leopard, in killing an adult baboon, created an orphan which easily could have been dessert, but instead settled down beside the baby and began to mother it. 

It seems the urge to protect other mammal babies is so strong it can transcend normal species fear and antagonism.

The affinity is strong in us, too. Visit “Kitten World” at SPA and see if you can harden your own heart against all that big-eyed, bouncing innocence. What if this inspires you to bring a kitten home and you have a dog or two? Will they end up bosom buddies like Leo and friends, or deadly enemies lying in wait for each other around corners?

Because animals mark their territories through scent, one of the best ways to get them to bond socially is to begin by mixing their smells. Since you will keep your kittens separate for a few nights until they get used to their new home anyway, place an old towel on their sleeping spot or rub them with it gently to get their scent on it. Then get another towel and place it in the dog’s bed. Then swap the towels over. When you do introduce them, they will already be familiar with each other’s smell and are less likely to be startled or annoyed. Keeping the dog on a leash, or holding its collar at first is a good idea, as is making a fuss over the dog and ignoring the kittens while they’re together—you definitely don’t want the dog to think it’s being replaced.

Short introductions will help them get to know one another and in a week or two you should feel confident enough to leave them together without having to watch them all the time. Although every animal’s personality is different, you’ll have nature on your side—that curious, strong and special bond between adults and babies of other mammal species. So go ahead. We have cartloads of kittens right now; why not mix and match? The best time is to do it while they’re young!

The SPA is located at Los Pinos 7, off Calzada de la Estación, near the bus station. Adoption and volunteer hours are Monday–Friday, 11am–2pm and 4–6pm, and Saturdays, 11am–2pm. Visit www.spasanmiguel.org  or call 152-6124 for more information.