CLEVELAND, Ohio -- An orphaned chihuahua-shih tzu

The mother cat, Mrs. Rabbit, and her kittens, Thumper and Friend Owl, have accepted the puppy, who nurses alongside the kittens and plays with them.

The puppy, named Bambi, was born Oct. 8. His mother and siblings died during delivery, Cleveland Animal Protective League director Sharon Harvey said.

"The owner bottle fed Bambi for a few days, but wasn't able to keep up, so she brought him to us for help," Harvey said. "As the survival rate for bottle-fed orphans this young is pretty iffy, our veterinarian decided to have our staff see if Mrs. Rabbit, a stray who had just come in with her kittens, would allow the puppy to nurse."

Mrs. Rabbit and her kids will stay in a foster home for a month then be neutered at the APL. Bambi has already been adopted.

"But the very special momma cat and her kittens will be available for adoption," Harvey said. "We hear stories like this every now and then, but this is the first time I've ever seen anything like this firsthand. It's quite a testimony to the unconditional love and spirit our animal friends are able to share with us and with each other."

"Our shelter is filled with compassionate people who are dedicated to saving the lives of homeless animals, and now we have a very, very special and selfless cat who is doing more than her part to help. It just doesn't get much better than that."