Dog starts lactating to nourish abandoned kitten

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-15 09:19

A pet dog in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, is looking after a kitten as if it was its own puppy.

A local surnamed Wang picked up the lonesome feline in a street and took it home in August.

"The cat had just been born and could not yet open its eyes," said Wang, whose dog took an instant shine to the feline.

Much to Wang's surprise, her pooch began playing mum and sheltered the cat under its body as they slept.

The feline often sucked the dog's dry nipples, but Wang recently discovered her dog was lactating even though it had not had pups.

Liu Huan, a local vet, said that false pregnancies, caused by estrogen secretion disorder, can occur in winter.

(Xi'an Evening News)