One of the most important factors when adopting a pet, if you have more than one, is how well they interact with other animals. Bringing a new pet into your home can often be difficult, but sometimes, especially with rescues, the animals are afraid of both humans and other dogs/cats.
Unfortunately, this is one of the main reasons why cats and dogs are surrendered to shelters later in life.
Obviously, deterring such behavior would benefit both animals and humans. Luckily for everyone, Boots is around to remedy the problem!
Boots is a 12-year-old Chow/Golden Retriever mix, and the Arizona Humane Society’s first ever “Kitten Nanny”! New kittens between 2 and 7 weeks old have a week full of positive socialization and playtime with Boots. Since kittens those age are inside the small window of time in which exposure to new things will directly impact how they adjust to change when they get older, this is an imperative part of their lives!
“A key factor that can increase a cat’s chance of adoption is its ability to live in homes with other pets. By socializing kittens with dogs like Boots early in life, we are able to open up an entirely new world of potential home environments to that kitten. The simple process involves one day of positive playtime and socialization with a kitten nanny like Boots each week. When started with kittens between two and seven weeks old, they are much more much more likely to live happily along with other animals.”
Check out Boots and her babies below!
Images: AZ Humane Society
