Cat Steals Dog’s Puppies – Find Out The Surprising Reason Behind it

By: Morgan Gregory Strauss | Last updated: Nov 01, 2023

Despite being as popular as dogs, it’s no secret that cats are known to be mysterious, aloof, and sometimes just unfriendly. A random encounter with a cat might confirm this stereotype—but cats come with all kinds of personalities, just like dogs. 

Take this cat, for example, whose actions were disregarded as regular “evil feline behavior” but, upon investigation, turned out to have a shocking explanation—it’s quite the twist!

The Famous Furry Foes

Ah, cats and dogs—enemies as old as time, or at least that’s true according to conventional wisdom. These two should never be left alone in a room together, so they say, or else there’ll be a mighty mess to clean up if the house is even still standing.

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Dogs are seen as the ever-loyal best friend, and cats are seen as the villainous, high-strung killers without a heart. Cat owners might know better, but for most people, these two animals couldn’t be more different.

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They Tend To Be On Unfriendly Terms

This conventional wisdom that cats and dogs don’t get along has a lot of truth to it. Generally, experts and vets recommend that pet owners choose between one or another to avoid stressing either animal out. After all, while most dogs get along with each other, cats tend to fight even amongst themselves.

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But it isn’t unheard of for cats to be friendly towards each other and even to other animals. Then again, it’s a big wide world out there full of strange happenings.

Could They Ever Be Friends?

Any dog and cat owner readers might be shaking their heads, knowing full well that there’s a secret to getting cats and dogs to play nice—but that’d be telling. Here’s a story about two animals that developed the most unexpected relationship.

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This story began in a park in a small town in South Carolina, where a cat and a dog were well-known faces in the community. Being so well known, the community very quickly noticed a strange change in their behavior. Let’s meet our fur friends.

The Marvelous Miss Kitty

Meet Miss Kitty. She’s no mangy street cat. This feline’s fur is chic and soft, as white as a fresh coat of snow. She prides herself on her hygiene and good grooming. But being well-kempt doesn’t mean being too good for a good head stroke once in a while. 

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Miss Kitty would let anyone scratch her back if they were friendly. She’d never cut or scratch, even if they rubbed her belly. This good nature of hers always made her a hit around the neighborhood.

Quite The Cat About Town

Everybody knew this cat, and everybody loved her. She would often stray outside her owner’s yard in search of offerings from her neighbors—and oh boy, would she get them! She was never pushy or mean, but she got her way by putting smiles on people’s faces.

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People really got used to Miss Kitty being in their lives one way or another. They became accustomed to her behavior. As well as being friendly and charming, she was also fairly predictable, as cats go.

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But Something In Miss Kitty Changed

One day, Miss Kitty went from being a well-kempt but carefree soul to an oddly anxious bundle of fur. It happened out of the blue. Being that Miss Kitty often visited the neighbors or could be seen prowling the neighborhood, everyone began to feel the difference.

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She began exhibiting a type of behavior that nobody, not even her owner, had seen in her. She had certainly never done it before. Even for a cat, it was highly suspect. Soon, the neighborhood had one less reason to smile.

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What Happened To Her?

The first worry that everyone had was that she was somehow sick. Although the neighborhood hadn’t seen her for a while, she didn’t look sick. She just seemed on edge and skittish. Soon some of the folks with a little more time on their hands started to watch her as she moved from house to house.

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They noticed that she would walk back and forth along a tight patrol route. She looked anxious while doing so. Curiously, she would also be seen with something furry in her mouth.

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Were They Kittens?

Could it be that Miss Kitty had been pregnant and she had been escorting her new litter from place to place? Well, not quite. Although she was anxious and taking quick steps, one of the neighbors managed to catch a glimpse of what was dangling in her mouth.

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It wasn’t what you might expect. Rather than dragging around baby cats, Miss Kitten was escorting puppies in her mouth. What a twist! But what was she actually doing with those little pups? Surely she wasn’t doing anything sinister!

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What Was She Doing?

Naturally, the neighbor that caught Miss Kitty with the puppy bundles went to speak to her owner at the earliest chance. He explained that at first, it looked like she was carrying kittens, but now she was fairly certain Miss Kitty was carrying puppies.

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The news completely floored her owner. For one, he hadn’t seen any sign of puppies—and this was, at least mainly, where Miss Kitty lived. Surely, the owner thought, Miss Kitty would have brought them where she sleeps. Wouldn’t that be the safest place?

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Following The Puppy Trail

As well as finding out where they were, another important question was: who owned these puppies? Or rather, where had they come from? The neighbor began casually asking around the neighborhood to find out. 

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Nobody in the immediate area knew initially, but eventually, word got out, and someone got back with an answer. There was only one dog in the area, and that dog had apparently given birth very recently. So now there was only one thing to do—find out if that dog was missing any of its children!

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A Few Houses Away…

Meanwhile, a few houses away, a car pulled up on the drive, and a beautiful family spilled out. The kids couldn’t wait to get inside to see their new puppies again after a long day at school. Their dog had just given birth to a litter, and they were just over the moon. 

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Their parents put the keys in the door and let them right in with smiles on their faces. The kids ran to the little shelter where their dog was watching over her babies—but something was wrong.

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Her Missing Babies

Who wouldn’t be excited about seeing puppies? The problem was there were only a few in the shelter. Where had the others gotten to? The puppies were young—so young that they could barely open their eyes. There was no way they’d even be able to get so far away from their mother on their own. 

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They looked up and down the house to find them. Maybe Smoochie, their mother, had moved them? They thought of everything. Finally, after hours of searching, they couldn’t find a trace of them. 

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Sniffing Out Answers

The family was devastated. But fortunately, it didn’t take long for the news about Miss Kitty’s odd behavior to reach them. They didn’t know the cat by her name, but like most people in the area, they had seen her and knew her by her beautiful white coat and friendly nature. 

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It didn’t take the family long to find out where her owner lived. They walked up to the house and rang the doorbell, hoping that these crazy rumors about her taking puppies in her mouth were true.

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Making Amends

Miss Kitty’s owner was just as baffled as the family. Even though he had no answers to offer, and even though kidnapping babies wasn’t in Miss Kitty’s nature,  he offered his apologies and promised to get to the bottom of the mystery—or at least to help in any way possible. 

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Snatching puppies was so out of character for Miss Kitty, her owner thought. What possible reason could she have for stealing into another family’s house and moving six or so puppies all that way back? Why would she do that?

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The Lady Was Out

It goes without saying that Miss Kitty was out on one of her patrols. Otherwise, her owner would have been able to lead the family to the puppies. So while they searched for any possible hiding places, Miss Kitty’s owner talked with the family and tried to come up with an explanation. 

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As they were going through the garden, her owner did come up with a possible explanation for this recent string of strange misbehavior, although it was a little far out. Nonetheless, it seemed like the most plausible theory.

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An Explanation

The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. There was a reason that Miss Kitty had disappeared from the neighborhood a few weeks back. Some time ago, a male cat had strolled into the area. Miss Kitty became pregnant a little while after. He had done everything possible to take care of her while she was expecting.

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That included keeping her indoors and giving her good nutrition. She wasn’t happy about it at first, but she soon settled in. Before long, she would be ready to deliver.

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Keeping It A Secret

Miss Kitty’s owner kept her pregnancy quiet from the rest of the community, although he knew that at least one of his neighbors would love to take on and adopt a cute little kitten. He knew he would have to give away the kittens eventually—but after Miss Kitty had a chance to nurture them and raise them to an appropriate age. 

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He read up on kitten care and awaited the big day when Miss Kitty would become a mother. But before that day could come, something tragic happened.

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Something Was Wrong With Her

Her owner knew to look out for specific signs that pointed to her being ready to give birth. But when she started slowing down while eating, it was clear that something was wrong. Over time, her appetite dropped. Soon, she didn’t even accept any of her favorite treats.

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Worse, she became strangely cold. Her owner began to worry, so he took her to a veterinarian for observation. They noticed that her temperature was dropping at an alarming rate. Whatever was happening, it didn’t look good for her.

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The Tragic Moment Of Truth

The veterinarian told Miss Kitty’s owner that while her drop in appetite and temperature was worrying, they would just have to wait and see. He tried to make her as comfortable as possible, giving her the best care he could afford. Despite all these measures, it wasn’t enough.

Eventually, Miss Kitty gave birth to several kittens, but none of them survived their first few hours. This was crushing for her. She was visibly devastated for a long time. Her owner let her out again, but he worried for her.

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What Went Wrong?

As time passed, Miss Kitty began acting more like herself. But her owner noticed that she was never quite the same. People wondered what had happened with her pregnancy. Why had her pregnancy not been a success? What had happened to her?

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The veterinarian had warned that animals often have unsuccessful pregnancies on their first attempt and that no matter how careful an owner is, they can simply fail. Regardless, this tragic loss would be sure to affect her, and it would take a lot of time for her to recover.

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Miss Kitty’s Grief

It may not have been obvious to everyone in the neighborhood, but it was obvious to her owner: she was grieving. Animals may do it differently, just like how they show affection differently, but they still process heavy emotions. They still feel and think, and process experiences just like us.

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She was unbearably sad. With time she began to return to her old self, but never completely. She was less daring, and she would take less time to laze around in the sun. She was always hiding.

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Life Went On

While she was still grieving, the world carried on. Some of the neighbors were talking about a house at the end of the street. Apparently, that family’s dog, Smoochie, a black Cocker spaniel, was about to give birth to a litter of puppies. Naturally, the family was very excited about it.

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Just like Miss Kitty’s owner on the other side of the street had done, the family was doing everything possible to make sure that the delivery would go well. Unfortunately, there was a complication with her, too.

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The Puppies’ Arrival

Fortunately, though, this complication would only occur after she delivered her puppies. Like Miss Kitty, she was a young mother. It was her first litter. She had the support of the veterinarian, and when the time came, all of her puppies came out healthy and strong—at least for tiny baby dogs.

The family set up a little shelter for Smoochie so that she could nest with her young ones. The family tried their best to give her and her puppies safe, so she felt as though she was protecting them.

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She Wasn’t Ready

Once again, the family had done everything perfectly, but there was a problem that no amount of preparation or care could have fixed. Smoochie was much too young. She was barely out of her puppy stage herself. Now that she had a litter of puppies, she had no idea what to do with them.

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Being that she was too young, she showed no interest in them. If the family had left them to their own devices, they would not have survived, as their mother didn’t carry any maternal instincts.

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They Were Left Behind

Although the family was overjoyed with their new bundle, Smoochie seemed indifferent. She wanted to rest, eat, and only occasionally play. It took them time to notice that their dog had left her children to fend for themselves. Soon the family became very concerned for their safety. 

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A few days went by, and by that time, they called the veterinarian, who confirmed their fears about Smoochie’s age and lack of interest. There was nothing else for it—they would have to try and take care of the puppies personally.

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Learning To Love?

But caring for baby dogs without the help of the mother can lead to unforeseen complications. It would be better if they could coax Smoochie into taking up her responsibilities. At first, they assumed they could just train her to do it, but after several attempts failed, they gave up.

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Smoochie refused to show affection to her babies. She mostly refused to acknowledge them for the most part. Still, the family didn’t give up—but they were fighting an uphill battle. This wasn’t like getting a dog to sit or rollover.

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Teaching A New Dog Old Tricks

Like people, puppies need nutrition, warmth, and safety as babies—but crucially, they also need the love and touch of another. If animals sense that a caring figure is absent, they will not survive. It can be terminal, or it can affect the animal’s health later in life.

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Without this link of love, the puppies would have no chance, or at the very least, with the family’s help, they would have unnecessary complications later in life. The family tried everything with their dog, including moving the puppies, training, and praying.

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On The Other Side Of Tragedy

Still, nothing worked. It might be hard for anyone to believe that a mother would neglect her children like this, but Smoochie wasn’t mature enough to accept her responsibilities. Finally, the family told all of this to Miss Kitty’s owner. After they finished their story, he understood what had happened.

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While Smoochie’s puppies were having problems connecting with their young mother, Miss Kitty was suffering a deep sense of grief and guilt from her missing kittens. It’s not fair, but life can be this way sometimes.

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Overhearing A Desperate Plea

Everyone knows how powerful a cat’s hearing is, but not everyone knows how powerful their sense of maternal protection is after they suffer a deep loss. At some point in the early hours of a school day, Miss Kitty overheard cries from inside one of the houses in the neighborhood. 

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It didn’t matter that these were the cries of another kind of animal—Miss Kitty heard them regardless. They were crying from a lack of affection. They needed comfort, and their mother was not around to give it to them.

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Puppy Love

Following her recent tragedy, Miss Kitty was moved into action. She prowled around Smoochie’s home, looking for a good spot to find out more about what she was hearing. She saw poor defenseless babies without the love and care of a good mother. 

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She came around the next day, heard the same mewing for help, and once again found a good spot to watch. Seeing them there without help must have driven her into plotting something quite drastic. She would return again, but when she did, she wouldn’t just watch.

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The Situation Got Worse For The Puppies

While Miss Kitty was plotting her infiltration, the family was losing hope that Smoochie would ever face what she was doing—or not doing—for her puppies. Each time they left the house, they worried if the babies were going to be alright. Each time they returned hopeful that her instincts would have kicked in.

But they returned disappointed, upset, and ever more concerned each time. On the day before Miss Kitty intervened, the puppies were in critical condition. After all, the adults in the family worked, and the children had school. 

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Nobody Would Help Them—Except Miss Kitty

Noticing this change in the puppies, Miss Kitty became quite alarmed. She sprang into action while the family was out. Presumably, she dodged the attention of Smoochie and made her way to the corner where the puppies were crying. 

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She dropped in, nipped them up, and carried them outside, one by one, risking her tail each time. Each trip took a long time, and she had to make sure the group was safe while she carried each one. By the time the family returned, there were only two puppies left.

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All The Love In Her Heart

Miss Kitty had airlifted five puppies in total. She wasn’t sure what the plan was next, but she was going to try and make sure that they were safe and that they felt loved. She did it all in secret, away from everyone, including her owner. 

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She decided that she had been given a second chance and that if someone else weren’t willing to help these poor babies grow big and strong, then she would do it. She didn’t care if they were dogs, cats, or chickens—she would give them love all the same.

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Back At Mother Base…

Miss Kitty’s owner and Smoochie’s owner went out looking for the cat and the five puppies. They searched high and low in the garden, in the neighborhood, and in the fields and parks where kids played. They didn’t have a single bit of luck.

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Meanwhile, back at “mother” base, Miss Kitty was prowling the area to make sure nobody would disturb her new puppies. She moved them around and made sure to lick them clean when they needed cleaning. She was doing everything she could to comfort them.

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The Search Comes To An End

Some of the family’s neighbors joined to look for Miss Kitty, trying to put their heads together. There was one more place they hadn’t looked: an abandoned trailer stood on the edge of the community. It had been empty for over a year. Everyone took a careful look inside.

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They found her there, in the corner of the vacant home, mewing after her adopted puppies. Knowing the stereotype about cats and dogs, everyone had expected the worst. But what they found shocked them: she was protecting them.

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A Demonstration Of Tenderness

While everyone was ready to greet a grizzly sight, instead, they saw the affection of a mother for five sweet abandoned babies. Miss Kitty was showing all the love that Smoochie had failed to give in that long, hard week. The neighbors stepped outside and felt their hearts swell.

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Smoochie’s family realized that the puppies had a mother—just not the one anyone could have ever expected. They thought about how to approach their next move. Should they try to separate them or bring them both along?

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Safe At Home

While Miss Kitty resisted at first, she let the puppies go and gave them into the family’s care. Everyone met up later at the family’s house, and Miss Kitty was even allowed to come along. Everyone watched as she took care of the puppies and watched over them—at a distance from Smoochie, of course.

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In time, the family learned to care for the puppies, and even Smoochie came around to caring for them. Thankfully, the puppies grew healthy and strong and even found homes of their own.

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What Does This Teach Us About Life?

In all that sadness, it’s beautiful that everything turned out for the best in the end. This story should remind us that life can be rough at times, but one way to get through it all is by leaning ever so slightly on each other and that, more importantly, sometimes differences aren’t what matters—it’s about how much love we can give.

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If a cat can show affection and care to the animal that is supposed to be its enemy, then anyone can learn to love those in need.

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The Bond Of Love

Miss Kitty still prowls that small-town neighborhood in South Carolina. Since her escapade with the puppies, she’s a bit more of a celebrity now. Her story might be small, but the lesson of the story is a big one: we could all stand to love one another a little more.

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It’s not known if Smoochie ever befriended Miss Kitty, but we like to think that, given a chance, they would be good friends. Given the right conditions and a generous dose of empathy, people of any stripe can become family.

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