Dog fosters nearly 100 kittens after losing her best cat friend (10 photos + 1 video)

12 March 2018

After losing a friend, a shelter dog devotes himself to surrogacy. Over the past 3 years, she has raised almost a hundred babies!

Meet Zuka and her many adopted children!

When Zuka was found, she was pregnant and wandering the streets. The mother was handed over to the care of the catching service, and the puppies that were born after a while went to different homes.

“She was such a good mother that after giving birth she managed to serve as a surrogate parent for several more other people’s babies,” recalls Rhonda, a professional animal rescuer living in Oregon.

All the puppies grew up and went to new families, but finding a home for Zuka was not so easy. Five months later, Rhonda saw her photo on the shelter's website and immediately fell in love.

“I remember the first time we met: the other dogs were going crazy in their kennels, but she just sat quietly and slightly wagged her tail. I started crying when I saw her,” says Rhonda.

It took Zuka some time to get used to the new way of life, but what she never had any problems with was the local cats. The dog immediately gained the favor of the cat fraternity, but most of all became close to a cat named Pyshka.

“Puffy was Zuka’s favorite until the end of her days. The poor thing became really depressed after the death of her friend, so we thought about how to somehow support her,” says Rhonda.

In 2015, a young cat named Egoza was left without maternal care. When Zuka met the baby, from the first seconds she began to perceive her as her own daughter. So, Egoza became the very first adopted kitten.

“The first time I was afraid to leave a 23-pound pit bull mix with a tiny ball of fur who barely weighs half a kilo and still needs his mother's milk. But I was convinced of the absolute safety of this idea - Zuka was extremely patient and friendly towards the little one,” recalls Rhonda.

“She has to put up with a lot of children's pranks. She allows her protégés to crawl over her body, bite, scratch, jump on her face - you name it. And all this in exchange for the right to lick the cats’ faces after dinner.” (Scroll down to see video)

Every time Zuka sees her owner with the next batch of fluffy orphans, she is overcome with excitement and her maternal instinct turns on at full power.

The dog uses its own way of communicating with its pupils and has become accustomed to recognizing their signals.

“She seems to know exactly what each baby needs. Zuka perfectly understands the needs of children and this is her most interesting feature.”

“She knows how to lie absolutely still, avoid eye contact with wild kittens and wait patiently for them to approach. And then Zuka showers them with kisses and socializes them in every possible way. It's an amazing sight."

The woman and her pet have taken care of almost a hundred children together and hope to take in at least twenty more this season.

“It’s great to have someone big, soft and warm to cuddle with. This is very important for kittens that have recently been separated from their mother,” says Rhonda.

Zuka gives furry orphans the motherly love that is so necessary for children's development.

At the age of 12, she continues to care for and educate those who need it.

“Zuka’s mission is to make sure cats can live peacefully side by side with dogs. This increases their chances of finding a suitable family. Many of my adoptive parents said that they take this or that kitten precisely because they see how he gets along with Zuka, which means he should get along with her relatives.”