Raylan, a rеscuе dog, has served in a critical role for the past seven years. Hundreds of kittens are cared for by the lively shepherd mix, who treats each one as if it were his own child.
Raylan has always been a dog that enjoys being occupied, and caring for kittens provides him with that purpose.
“Raylan is always so happy and so excited when a new foster arrives, and he spends so much time watching them, cleaning them and winning them over,” Laura Tindal, Raylan’s mom, told The Dodo. “They play, cuddle and amuse each other, which is so important for [Raylan’s] mental stimulation.”
“He’s not the kind of dog to just lie quietly on his bed for hours,” she added. “He gets bored quickly and needs things to do.”
Tindal just adơрted Ron and Hermione, a cat brother and sister. The kittens were found alone, underweight, and dehydrated in a garage.
Ron, in particular, was definitely missing his mother. Raylan walked up to the plate at that point.
Raylan fell in love with Ron — and Ron with Raylan — while Tindal focused on keeping the kittens healthy.
“Both kittens adore Raylan, but Ron is particularly fond of him,” Tindal explained. “[He] wanted to be crawling on him all the time, caressing him, and being as near to him as possible.”
When Raylan scoops him up and carries him about in his mouth, Ron is ecstatic. Raylan is delighted to help because the simple gesture appears to provide Ron peace.
“Raylan frequently carries our foster kittens around in his mouth likе a mother dog, and Ron was not only the ideal size, but he really enjoys it!” Tindal explained. “It’s impossible to get much closer than within his mouth.” As a result, Raylan is always lugging Ron around.”
