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Mother cat at humane society adopts Rottweiler puppy rejected by its mother
MERIDEN, Conn. (AP) -- Who says cats and dogs don't get along? Workers at the Meriden Humane Society are marveling at a short-haired mother cat that has adopted a 6-day-old Rottweiler puppy that was rejected by its mother. The tiny pup, named Charlie by Humane Society volunteers, nurses alongside a jumble of black and gray kittens recently born to Satin, who was taken to the shelter by an owner unable to care for her. Charlie's mother was found by the side of the road in Meriden a couple of months ago. She gave birth to two puppies, but one was stillborn. As sometimes happens with a stillborn in the litter, the mother refused to accept Charlie. Volunteers bottle-fed him every two hours, but the effort was exhausting for them and insufficient for the puppy, volunteer Chris Chorney said. Research indicated that a suitable substitute could be Satin, who had given birth to four kittens that have quickly warmed to Charlie. "The kittens scrum up with him and the kittens treat him like one of their own," Chorney said. "There's a certain social benefit of small animals being with each other." Such relationships are not all that unusual in certain circumstances, said Deirdre Chiaramonte, a veterinarian at the Animal Medical Center, a specialty teaching hospital in New York.The cozy arrangement between Charlie, Satin and the kittens will likely changes as the pup grows. Full-grown male Rottweilers commonly weigh 100 pounds. Volunteers are hoping that dog owners will volunteer their puppies to be Charlie's playmates. "Dogs need to be with a litter of puppies, to learn to play with other dogs," Chorney said. "He has to learn to be a well-socialized dog." (Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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Local Shelters Help Rescue Cats Involved in Hoarding Case
(CBS 46 News) – Two local shelters are helping find homes for the dozens of cats rescued from what Gwinnett County Police are calling a ‘cat hoarder’.Fur Kids and Good Mews have taken in 26 cats between the two shelters. Animal hoarding is a recognized physiological condition or mental illness. Hoarding involves keeping a large number of animals without having the space or ability to properly care for them. Hoarders are usually deeply attached to their pets and have no idea they are harming them. Fur Kids has vets who have treated the cats brought from the hoarder. After blood tests, the vets say many of them will need expensive medical attention. The cats will be available for adoption after receiving treatment.Fur Kids is the largest no-kill, cage-free shelter in Georgia. Right now, the shelter is housing more than 200 animals.If you are interested in adopting one of the cats or donating to their medical care, contact Samantha Sheldon at 770-613-0880.
(Copyright 2007 by CBS 46 News. All Rights Reserved.)
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