My dog grabbed a kitten. Why did she do that? Are kittens safe?

Your older dog is probably just curious about the new kitten. As long as he is not doing anything to harm or frighten the cat I would let them continue to get to know each other. Female kittens can go in to heat as early as 5 months of age. However, even if she is in heat it should not affect your dog or make him more interested in the cat.

Thanks for providing photos; Shunu is adorable! I think your instincts are correct in that even though Queen wants to play, at one month of age Shunu is in danger of being injured. Queen may not understand how to play with a kitten so young and fragile, and it's very possible that as a stray, Shunu didn't get the benefit of learning how to set boundaries with playmates that she would have gotten had she been raised with her mother and littermates. At this point your best course of action is to keep them separated, at least until Shunu is a couple of weeks older. You don't have to put them in completely separate parts of the house, but just make sure that Queen can't play on the floor with Shunu or chase her. Soon enough Shunu will learn how to send signals to playmates, and Queen will start to understand the boundaries. When you do start letting them play, supervise closely.

Yes, you got it right. They often can't distinguish between kittens and other small preys and will attack and kill the kittens as well. The same can apply to small children, that in their eyes can be considered something not human as they are not fully grown up, make funny sounds and have different smells. This does not apply got every dog, but does apply to dogs like yours that feel the instinct to attack. I would advise against rescuing a kitten or it might end up in a tragedy ! Best wishes

How lovely of you to take in this stray cat and her kittens! I would keep your five week old male kitten separate from the kittens. At five weeks old, your kitten will not be vaccinated and can pass along diseases such as calicivirus and feline distemper to the kittens and their mother. Conversely, the mother could pass those along to your kitten as she likely isn't vaccinated. Fleas and intestinal worms can also be passed between them. I would take your kitten into your vet when he's six to eight weeks old to get his first vaccines, and be sure to take the mother and her kittens into the vet in the next couple of weeks to get check ups for them. You can discuss with the vet when to get the mother vaccinated and spayed so she won't have another litter of kittens, and when to start the kittens on their vaccines. Good luck, I hope this helps!

Aww poor kittens! It is definitely possible that a fox or some other wild animal could have snatched up the two missing kittens even with the dogs nearby. Unfortunately, some dogs will not distinguish between pets and other wild animals so it is also possible that one of the dogs got the kittens. I'm sorry that this happened! Probably best to bring the kittens indoors for protection until they are older.

It sounds like Griffin is VERY interested and excited about the new kitten, and is likely trying to check her out. If he gets too in her face, I would definitely break it up and distract him with a toy or treat elsewhere. Making sure your kitten has places to escape such as a high up perch or beyond a baby gate where Griffin can't get to is also a good idea. It is also best to make sure pup and kitten are always supervised when together as even the friendliest dog may accidentally injure a tiny kitten without meaning to!

Great question! I can give you a method for introducing them to each other: Introducing them should be done slowly. When you first bring your kitten home, I would keep them in rooms separated by a door. This way, they can get used to the smells and sounds of each other without contact. Make sure your kitten has a litter box, food, and water in their room. You can also place a blanket with the dogs' smell in the kitten's room, and a blanket with the kitten's smell in the dogs' room. I would also consider get a Feliway for your kitten and a DAP for your dogs. These are pheromone diffusers that help with anxiety and should also help ease the transition. Once all the pets seem relaxed with the current situation, swap rooms placing the kitten in the dogs' room and vice versa. You can do this switch several times over the course of the introductions. Once they are all comfortable with the smells of each other, it's time for them to meet face to face. I would introduce the dogs on a leash to the kitten while he is in a cat carrier or on the other side of a baby gate. Reward the dogs for being calm and quiet near the kitten. Once they seem comfortable with each other, the baby gate can be taken away. Make sure your kitten has a cat tree where he can escape from the dogs as needed, and don't allow the dogs to chase the kitten. I hope this helps!