How do you turn a dog frown upside down? For Flora, a 100-lb. malamute who had recently lost her best friend Dexter, a 20-year-old cat, the best medicine was a handful of kittens.
The passing of this special cat left a void in Flora’s life. Although they came from different worlds (and different species), Flora had closely bonded with the senior kitty her family, the Williamses, had adopted from Best Friends Animal Society in Kanab, Utah, only two years prior.
Best Friends Animal Society/Jill Williams To help ease her sweet dog’s grief, Jill Williams quickly adopted two young cats, hoping they’d distract Flora. Unfortunately, this plan did not pan out: the cats didn’t want to cuddle with her, and Flora was still down in the dumps. That’s when the Williams family decided to try another approach, this time fostering a litter of four kittens in early August.
Best Friends Animal Society/Jill Williams Enter Roxy, Iggy, Bowie and Glamour. Not only was fostering the baby cats a good experience for the Williams children, it was just the kitty ticket for Flora, too. The Williamses took two days to make their home comfy for the kittens, and once they were settled in, they introduced the dog to her new, petite and fluffy wards.
Best Friends Animal Society/Jill Williams Flora perked right up when she saw the purring bunch. Jill Williams said that the kittens were unfazed by the large dog.
“Iggy was the first brave boy. He went right up to Flora and sniffed her nose. She gently brought her face down to meet his and got a huge smile on her face,” she said.
Best Friends Animal Society/Jill Williams Iggy’s sister Glamour was next up. “Glamour climbed up Flora’s side, sniffing her ears and eyes. Flora just laid there with a big, squinty smile on her face. It was so cute,” Williams said. “I truly think Flora is the kitten whisperer.”
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Best Friends Animal Society/Jill Williams Although the kittens are now up for adoption (click here to find out more about them) and will eventually move on to new homes, Williams says Flora won’t be left pining for them. The family is already preparing to foster a new batch of baby kitties so the dog’s loving nature and unique skill set won’t lay dormant for too long.