People often talk about maternal instinct; how females, humans and animals, alike share the kind of innate pattern of behavior that helps them identify babies and instantly feel the need to care and provide for them. We have seen countless examples of women raising the children of others, or pets or wild animals adopting babies that they didn’t give birth to- even of a different species from them- just because of this instinct.
But, what about the paternal instinct that is very often, if ever, discussed? The fact that not many talk about it doesn’t mean it does not exist.
In fact, it does and when you become a witness of it, it can be really overwhelming and heartwarming, exactly because it is more rarely discussed.
Like, for example, foster daddy Aragon from Greece, who found a litter of kittens and decided he had to rescue them.
Aragon is an adopted dog, whose mom is a volunteer at the local SCARS (Second Chance Animal Rescue Society). Whenever she takes him out for a walk, she doesn’t find abandoned kittens, but- even worse- boxes where kittens were abandoned, but they are not there anymore- probably eaten by foxes, which are a common predator in the mountains near Athens.
“His mum is a SCARS volunteer who lives near the mountain of Immitos. Almost every day she finds empty cardboard boxes on the mountain (sometimes with the blankets and the toys still inside), but no animals,” explains SCARS.
However, this time it was different. Valia Orphanidou, Aragon’s mom, was walking him near the mountain, actually planning on making a video about abandoned kittens in the area, when she felt he was leading her somewhere. Valia had no idea what she was going to see in a moment: a box full of black-and-white kittens looking around scared and curious, while making all sorts of baby sounds.
Valia took the box home, where Aragon had the chance to express his paternal instinct. Practically, he was the one who rescued the kittens as he smelled or heard them and showed his mom where they were. It is not an exaggeration to claim that if Aragon hadn’t found the animals, they probably wouldn’t be alive today.
According to his mom, the sweet dog has been “an excellent foster dad since day one.”
In the video below, you can see how the rescue happened, while you can also see how Aragon treated the little ones once they all got home.
The new daddy seeks to be close to the kittens as much as possible, while he’s also trying to teach them how to walk. He goes close to them, smells them, pushes their legs to move forward or helps them to stand on their paws. He’s really doing an amazing job!
The kittens, too, felt that he didn’t mean any harm, so they gather around him, even curling up next to him as if they’re trying to find a way to nurse.
As Valia explained at the end of the video, the kittens were soon in great shape and ready to find their forever homes. And, given that it’s been quite some time since the video was uploaded, all of them must be with their loving families by now.
You can watch the video of the rescue and the fun Aragon had with the kittens at home below.
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