Zuca is a rescue dog that lives with her mom Ronda in Portland, Oregon. At the age of 15, she is pretty much in her senior years. But her old age never stops her from fulfilling a great purpose; she fosters orphaned kittens all year long.
Ronda started fostering kittens with Multnomah County Animal Services (MCAS) in 1998. In 2006, she had two resident kittens, and she thought of getting a dog that would get along with them. When she found Zuca, she knew for a fact that sheâd be a great companion for her fosters.
Within only two days after bringing her home, Ronda introduced Zuca to her cats. She was surprised and thrilled to realize that her new dog had no prey-drive at all. She let her meet Stout, one of her cats, and they got along just fine.
One night, when Ronda learned that the shelter was overrun with kittens, she rushed and took home three. Right at the moment they arrived, Zuca was very eager to meet them. She was a bit pushy at first, but eventually, she learned that the best approach was to sit back and wait for the kittens to come to her once they were ready.
The first batch of orphaned kittens Zuca cared for was 8 weeks old. They were big enough to let her know when they needed space, and she respected it. She kind of practice on them and she did a very good job.
Since then, the dog learned how to properly introduce herself. Her mom witnessed how wonderful she was as a foster, and she swore there was nothing she could have done better. She was just the best.
Whenever there were new arrivals, Zuca simply lay on the floor and patiently waited for the kittens to come to her. She knew they were so fragile so she made sure not to play with them too roughly. She comforted them and nurtured them like her own children.
Ronda has saved and fostered hundreds of kittens in the past and Zuca played a huge part in everything. She helped her care for them, and there was no doubt she was the best foster sibling for them.
Credits to Instagram@ZucasKittens and The Dodo