Is it safe for my dog to nurse kittens and my cat to nurse puppies?

It's not unheard of for dogs to nurse kittens, and there is nothing wrong with it. That being said, if the kittens are older than six weeks of age, then yes I would stop them from suckling. At this age, they are old enough to be eating a kitten formulated food, and do not need to be nursing. At that age, it will be supplementary, and they don't need it.

16 week old kittens should be weaned and not nursing, and it is unlikely your female dog is actually lactating. Kittens can knead and look as if they are nursing as a sort of comfort behavior, so that may be what you are seeing instead. If neither is bothered by this, I wouldn't be worried, but if there is discharge coming from your dog it is best to seek veterinary care to make sure there isn't an infection or something else going on. Making sure both your dog and kitten are on a balanced diet (kitten formula) is best to ensure they're getting proper nutrition.

Nursing can take a lot of energy, so making sure your pregnant cat is receiving enough nutrition for herself, the growing kittens and the kitten she is nursing is key. Be sure to provide her with a high-quality kitten food that will offer extra protein and fat to provide enough for everyone. Many cats will adopt kittens from other litters, and some cats have even been known to adopt babies from other species! If this is her first litter, she may want to push away or attack the kitten when her own litter comes, so be sure to have supplemental milk ready if it is needed or if the kittens own mother is not nursing it already. If your pregnant cat does become aggressive, be sure to keep the kitten separated so both mom and kitten can be stress-free. Otherwise, as long as mom and kitten are both happy, she should be fine nursing one more!

It is not dangerous for the puppies to drink another dog's milk, however the teats will only produce so much milk as is in demand. It is quite normal for several bitches in a pack to feed the puppies. as long as the puppies thrive and grow and gain weight this should not be a problem.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is in fact most likely normal. Nursing from a young kitten is expected to some extent and that will likely go away on its own. Rosie humping Callie is likely a display of dominant behavior which is somewhat typical when having two animals in the same place. This will all most likely get better with time. Good luck and have a great day!

Yes, it can be completely normal. In fact, in feral cat colonies, it is common for another female to nurse other kittens if the mother cat is away for too long and the kittens are crying.

Hi. You just need to keep them separate until the puppies are examined and cleared to be healthy. Also get fecal samples checked for parasites. I would NOT feed kitten food to the puppies. They need a high quality puppy food, or milk replacer if under 4 weeks. Kitten food is not balanced well for dogs. Especially growing puppies.