The tiny pup, who was named Charlie by Humane Society volunteers, now nurses alongside a number of black and gray kittens that were recently born to Satin, who was recently taken to the shelter by an owner no longer able to care for her.
Charlie's mother was found on the side of the road in Meriden a few months ago. She gave birth to two puppies, but one was stillborn. As sometimes happens with a stillborn in the litter, the mother now refused to accept Charlie as one of her own.
Volunteers bottle-fed him every two hours, but the effort was very exhausting for them and insufficient for the puppy.
Previous research indicated that a suitable replacement could be Satin, who had recently given birth to four kittens that quickly warmed up to Charlie.
The new arrangement between Charlie, Satin, and the kittens will likely change as the pup grows. Full-grown male Rottweilers commonly weigh 100 pounds or more.
Volunteers are hoping that dog owners will volunteer their puppies to be Charlie's playmates, as dogs need to be with a litter of puppies in order to learn how to play and socialize well with other dogs.
