CHENGDU CITY, China – Surprising for those who see the rivalry between dogs and cats as a stereotype, a mother dog living in a convenience store in the southwestern Chinese city of Chengdu has adopted three kittens and put them under her motherly care.
Tian, owner of the store, said he found the kittens on the street and brought them back a month ago. His house pet, an eight-year-old dog who had given birth three years ago, reacted as if the kittens were her own puppies.
“I saw the kittens playing underneath cars, and nobody looks after them. I worried that they might be hurt by cars so I brought them back,” said Tian.
“The kittens slept with my dog, and later the dog started to breastfeed them,” he added.
The mother dog guards the kittens carefully against any possible danger, barking furiously to anybody who attempts to get closer to them.
“It cares very much about them. If a stranger tries to touch the kittens, it will bark to stop them. It will lick their hair if they get dirty,” said Tian.
Local residents said the dog’s behaviour is usual.
“I think the mother dog has a loving heart, treating the kittens as its own puppies,” said a girl.
The kittens are getting along well with another dweller in Tian’s store, a Guinea pig, though they at times bully it as a way of having fun.
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