The saying goes that dogs don’t make cats. Can we therefore conclude that cats do not make dogs? Perhaps the story of Rasta and Souky will convince you that, in a way, it is possible.
There is a lot of commotion at the refuge of the Center hospitalier universitaire vétérinaire (CHUV), in Saint-Hyacinthe: annually parade some 300 cats and 70 dogs. But if there is one passage that has marked the memory of the staff, it is that of these two little animals, each abandoned on their own, then brought together by the vagaries of life.
Let’s start with Rasta, a stray adult cat rescued in the street in March 2019, with a coat riddled with knots; which earned him his baptismal name. Dropped off at the shelter, the affectionate feline was treated to a shearing and a sterilization session, before turning out to be a good candidate for adoption.
The next day, residents crashed through the doors of the establishment: a trio of newborn puppies 3 or 4 days old, their eyes still narrowed, orphans of their mother, who probably died while giving birth. It was the bustle of bottles among the shelter workers, who took turns feeding them every two hours.
But a detail would allow to consider a new strategy: the vets had noticed that the Rasta cat presented a slight breast engorgement, a sign that she had given birth shortly before – the kittens had not however been found by her side when she had been rescued. “We had the idea of presenting the puppies to the cat, to see if she would accept them,” recalls Jeniffer Caballero Ramirez, supervisor of hospital operations at the CHUV and in charge of the shelter. A risky bet, but a winning one: “She never spat or rejected the puppies, which she adopted straight away. She lay down and started to lick them. As she did not have a lot of milk, we alternated with feeding bottles, ”she continues.
A first experience
Before jumping to the ceiling shouting “hallelujah!” », Keep handkerchiefs on hand, because the sad part of the story begins here. Two of the young survivors nevertheless succumbed, no doubt due to a separation from their mother for too long.
But in the days that followed, Rasta had a surge of milk and the only surviving puppy was able to cling to her udders, under close staff supervision. Quickly, under the licks of his adoptive mother, the one who was baptized Souky took the hair of the beast and escaped unharmed. “This is the first time we’ve tried this kind of experience. It touched us a lot, ”says the supervisor.
Rasta’s generosity did not stop there: a few days later, a new trio of orphans arrived at the refuge; little kittens this time around. Thirsty, they too were installed near the cat, which in turn accepted them. But beware: the little felines tended to move Souky away from the mother’s womb in order to be able to drink better there. “During the day, we left the puppy alone with the cat, and we gave canes to the kittens, which were a little bigger. At night, we brought them all together ”, explains Mme Caballero Ramirez.
This unlikely bond between this mother and her adopted baby lasted for more than two months. And it wasn’t just milk on the menu. Driving lessons were also included, which led to some pretty funny scenes. “Souky had started to adopt the habits of a cat, he was going to do his business in the litter box! He imitated his mother and licked himself a lot more than a dog normally would. We left him in the cattery with the other cats, used to him. He must have thought he was a cat himself! », Laughs the supervisor.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY THE CHUV REFUGE
Souky, once an adult, in his new home
When Souky grew up and was weaned from his adoptive mother, the shelter sought to place him with a temporary foster family to be further educated as a dog. Two weeks after his arrival in his new home, his hosts decided to keep him permanently. There is indeed an old cat on the spot, but Souky will never manage to get along with this fearful old tomcat (who surely never wanted to swallow the rantings of this dog who pretended to be a feline). Later, however, Souky was able to flourish alongside two other canines, also adopted at the CHUV refuge. According to our information, he would have lost his habit of going to his needs in a litter box… And Rasta in all that? She was also adopted from her side, a few weeks later. For all, a crossroads that ends well, and proof that the maternal instinct can transcend species.