Husky 'adopts' kittens

OAKLAND, Calif., Oct. 5 (UPI) -- A California woman said bringing a pair of kittens into her house had an unexpected side effect -- turning her Siberian husky into a foster mom.

Sarah Kidder said she came across the kittens and their guardian, a male cat she said she believes to be their father, while walking her 12-year-old dog, Tamerack, near her Oakland home last month, the Oakland Tribune reported Monday.

Kidder said she discovered the cat and kittens had been abandoned by neighbors who moved away. She said she brought the trio into her house and Tamerack was immediately taken with the new arrivals.

"She was like, 'Oooh, kittens!' I was a little concerned at first because she was so excited, but then I realized she was excited because she wanted to mother them," Kidder said. "She would follow them around and lick their heads and make sure they were OK. After 24 hours, they started following her around. Whenever she sat down, they sat down, too."

Kidder said she and the dog will be sad to put the cats up for adoption.

"I'm going to take her up to the snow as a reward," Kidder said. "If she's still missing them after that, I'll guess I'll have to start fostering more kittens."