Kittens who were rescued from the street, grew to adore a sweet dog and thought he was their "mother".
A litter of four kittens were found living on the street when they were around three weeks old. Laura, a foster volunteer, stepped up to help and took them into her care. "They were thought to belong to a feral mother, but there was no mother in sight," Laura told Love Meow.
Her canine resident, Raylan, has a soft spot for kittens in need, and has extended his helping paw to many feline friends. With no exception, when the quartet arrived, he was ready to welcome them with the warmest reception.
"At first, the kittens were quite nervous of Raylan, but then they quickly realized they loved when he licked them and cleaned them like a mother cat."
The sweet-natured dog is very nurturing to every kitten that comes through the door. Even the shyest little one can't escape his love and finds courage through him. "Raylan was rescued from a shelter where he was going to be euthanized at two years old," Laura shared with Love Meow.
"Originally, he was my foster dog, but nobody wanted him and I ended up falling in love. I quickly realized he was very gentle and loving with small animals, so I started fostering kittens instead, and the rest is history."
Whenever Raylan is surrounded by a clowder, he feels a sense of duty and purpose. As soon as he heard the four newcomers (Benny, Björn, Anni-Frid, and Agnetha), his ears perked up and his parental instinct kicked in.
The sweet canine grew on the kittens as he gave them baths and plenty of TLC that they'd been longing for, from a mother. "They were just starting to eat solid food and their coordination was poor—the perfect age for Raylan to help keep them clean."
The kittens were on cloud nine when Raylan licked their faces after every meal and let them nuzzle into his belly for comfort. They came running to him when he showed up in the morning and trailed behind him like ducklings in a row.
"They tried to follow him everywhere and do what he did because they looked up to him so much."
They were constantly purring and vying for his attention to be picked up and carried around like a mother cat would. They climbed all over him before settling onto a spot for a nap.
Watch Raylan and his foster kittens in this cute video:
"Raylan likes to bring the kittens to his bed or the couch for proper bathing, and they will line up hoping to get a ride. He's incredibly gentle."
No beds or couches seemed to be adequate sleeping surfaces for these kittens. They preferred nestling up to Raylan for a snooze-fest.
The sweet dog raised these little clingers into rambunctious young cats. When they started racing around the house and creating all sorts of antics, he knew it was time to let them spread their wings and fly.
When the feline siblings graduated from foster care and went off to their forever homes, Raylan was so proud and happy for a well-deserved break.
A couple of weeks later, he jumped right back into fostering more kittens, and continued helping those who needed his love.
Benny, Björn, Anni-Frid, and Agnetha have blossomed into beautiful, happy indoor cats. Thanks to Raylan, they got to know love and affection, and are now thriving with their happily-ever-after.
Share this story with your friends. Follow Raylan and his foster kittens on Instagram @raylan_the_dog.
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