Zach Hearn believed his family was complete, but his two dogs, Tang and Cream, had other ideas.
Earlier this month, the puppies were out for a stroll when they came across a little animal calling for help and ran to its aid.
“Tang and Cream came to a halt, perplexed,” Hearn told The Dodo. “You could hear a meow from a distance, so both ran up to investigate.”
Hearn couldn’t see the source of the noise, but the two dogs did find a little kitten, around 3 to 4 weeks old, lying in the center of the roadway.
The small kitten was filthy and underweight, and there was no sign of its mother. Hearn was worried that his golden retriever and King Charles cavalier might chase the kitten, but the pups knew just what to do.
Hearn was taken aback when both dogs began consoling the terrified small calico. “Tang began whimpering and lay down close to her,” Hearn explained. “Cream began licking and cleaning her.”
Hearn felt he couldn’t leave the kitten on the road alone, so he scooped her up and took her home, where he and his girlfriend gave the cat a cozy spot to rest and a much-needed wash and nourishment. The cat had clearly been on her own for some while, but her vitality soon returned.
“We chose to call the cat 头奖 (Tou Jiang), which means jackpot,” Hearn said. “At first, she had little energy and slept a lot. But she perked up when she was fed on a regular basis and provided a comfortable place to sleep.”
The dogs fell in love with Tou Jiang the instant they saw him. The dogs never leave her side and are always there to provide her with anything she requires, whether it’s comfort, snuggling, a tongue bath, or playtime.
When it comes to rearing the kitten, each dog has their own own “parenting” technique.
“Tang is more of a laid-back mom,” Hearn explained. “The cat will climb on her and play with her tail, while Tang will simply lie there.” If the kitten is going to do anything, she will step in.”
“Cream is a whole other animal,” he continued. “She hovers more and is always near to her, playing with her and licking her clean as her actual mother would.” They’re quite excellent about taking turns, but unless she’s put in her crib to sleep, they’re always monitoring her.”
It took some getting accustomed to having a cat in the household, but the love and pleasure that Tou Jiang provides her adopted dog parents is priceless.
“Raising a kitten is significantly different than raising a puppy,” Hearn explained. “The feeding and potty needs might be tiring, but it’s all worth it.” She spends the entire day with the dogs, and we have a home camera to keep an eye on them while we are at work. The dogs are always monitoring and following her.”
