Rescuers got a surprise one night when a frantic woman called to tell them her dog brought her a tiny newborn kitten!

It was a hectic kitten season well into December in Westchester County, NY, with more babies than usual. Many kittens arrived at the feline rescue after people mistakingly thought the mother cats had abandoned them. Often, she’s nearby finding food and won’t return when humans are around. Rescuers always try to keep mama with her babies. Unless they aren’t being cared for, are in danger or it’s been hours and she has indeed abandoned a kitten or her litter. 

But in this case, it wasn’t a person who decided to “rescue” a kitten from the mama while she was away; it was a well-intentioned dog. It was when a frantic woman called the rescuers to tell them their dog had brought them a tiny golden kitten covered in dog saliva. But don’t worry; the dog did no harm to the wee one.

Kitten ‘Rescued’ By Dog

Late one Friday afternoon, they got a surprising phone call.

“As the sun was setting on Friday, we received a call for help from Rockland County. And again, this was a case of a kitten being stolen away from his mom, but there was a very different twist to this story. You are not going to believe who the culprit was!”

When the woman let her dog in the house, he proudly carried the one-week-old kitten. She didn’t know where the kitten had come from and hadn’t seen cats around.

“The dog then gently layed the kitten at the homeowner’s feet. Apparently, the dog felt the need to ‘rescue’ this newborn and brought the kitten inside to his owner,” they explained.

Not knowing where the kitten came from, she couldn’t return the baby to mama, especially since it was dark outside.

“Although his fur was quite disheveled and stiff from dried dog saliva, this chubby baby had no visible injuries from his adventure tonight. And after warming up in the incubator, he gratefully accepted a bottle of kitten formula,” they described.

It was a little overwhelming for the rescuers since they were already caring for 12 kittens, all under 2 weeks old. Considering how late it was in the year, the numbers were unusual. Many rescues have described needing rescue in 2022.

‘Chubby Cheeks’ Opens His Eyes

By the next morning, the kitten, dubbed “Chubby Cheeks,” opened his eyes for the first time.

“Guess what greeted me this morning? I may be tired and bleary eyed myself, but I definitely spotted peepers! Chubby cheeks will soon be getting his first look at the big world around him. 😍”

Kitten Rescues Into the New Year

Surprisingly, the rescuers kept seeing more tiny newborn kittens well into December. We previously shared a story of some in the fall. They continue to do their best to save each tiny life, depending on donations.

“Tiny little Parker arrived from the Bronx.” 

Neonatal kitten in incubator with stuffed animals for comfort

“Working in animal rescue can be compared to the motto of the United States Postal Service. Nothing stops us- not rain, nor snow, nor sleet, nor even FIRE,” they said, given apartment fires in the area. “Regardless of what is going on in our lives, when tiny newborns are in danger, these fragile kittens need help now- not later when it is more convenient for us.”