Tiny Kitten Who Lost Her Mom Convinces Stray Dog To Adopt Her

They both desperately needed a friend.

Junior the kitten took one look at Amira the dog and decided Amira should be her mom — and the kitten wasn’t going to take “no” for an answer.

Amira is a street dog who lives close to Il Gattaro d'Aleppo ("The Cat Man of Aleppo"), a famous cat sanctuary in war-torn Syria. The founder of the sanctuary, Mohammad Alaa Jaleel (known as Alaa), has been doing doing his best to care for Amira, although for safety reasons, he can’t allow her to live amongst the 80 cats who call Il Gattaro d'Aleppo home.

Kitten sitting on top of dog's head
Junior the kitten sitting on top of Amira the dog | Il Gattaro d'Aleppo

When Alaa discovered Amira was pregnant, he let Amira sleep in his room until it was time for her to give birth, hoping to give her a little comfort.

But when Amira went into labor, tragedy struck — none of the puppies were born alive.

Stray dog sitting in dirt
Amira hanging out near the cat sanctuary | Il Gattaro d'Aleppo

“We were sad and shocked for her, and we gave her a stuffed teddy bear to cuddle because she was very sad,” Alessandra Abidin, Alaa's friend who runs the Facebook page for Il Gattaro d'Aleppo from her home in Italy, told The Dodo.

Stray dog sleeping with stuffed animals
Amira snuggling with three stuffed animals, including her teddy bear | Il Gattaro d'Aleppo

Like Amira, Junior the kitten had lost her family, and she was living on the streets before Alaa found her and brought her to live at Il Gattaro d’Aleppo.

Person petting tiny kitten
Il Gattaro d'Aleppo

Junior quickly made herself at home at the sanctuary, getting to know its many resident cats. She also caught sight of Amira, who usually lounges around the sanctuary entrance, and one of Amira’s teddy bears.

Little kitten sniffing big dog
Il Gattaro d'Aleppo

“She noticed the teddy bear [that belonged to] the dog, and slowly she went near her to play,” Abidin said.

Kitten ready to climb up on dog
Il Gattaro d'Aleppo

Amira didn’t seem to mind, and she even let Junior crawl on top of her.

Dog and cat cuddling together
Il Gattaro d'Aleppo

“We found them together,” Abidin said. “And the kitten was riding her [Amira], and she is completely fine. She even seemed to smile.”

Dog cuddling with tiny kitten
Il Gattaro d'Aleppo

Amira visits Il Gattaro d'Aleppo several times a week, and every time, Junior is there to greet her. Junior might be smaller and a different species, but Amira has grown to adore her — and the feeling is clearly mutual. The two of them play together, share food and take naps together.

Tiny kitten crawling on top of dog
Il Gattaro d'Aleppo

“We called her Amira, [which means] princess, because for us, she is a princess for her noble soul,” Abidin said.

To learn how you can help the cats living at Il Gattaro d'Aleppo, follow the sanctuary on Facebook. You can also help buy food for the cats by making a donation.