Flora and Dexter truly made an unlikely couple. At somewhere around 100 pounds, Flora the malamute sharply towered over Dexter the cat.
Iggy was the first of the kittens to sidle up to Flora. (Photo: Jill Williams/Best Friends Animal Society)
The thing is, Flora didn’t actually do much towering. She was usually seen cuddled up to her very best friend in the world. They were completely inseparable.
Flora and Dexter didn’t let size, or species, come between them. (Photo: Jill Williams/Best Friends Animal Society)
Sadly, Dexter took a road that Flora couldn’t follow. At 20 years old, the grand old cat died.
And Flora’s family, the Williams’ of Kanab, Utah, believed the dog might never recover.
Flora and Dexter were both adopted from Best Friends Animal Society. (Photo: Jill Williams/Best Friends Animal Society)
“Flora was beyond heart-broken,” mom Jill Williams states. “She spent many weeks outside, howling and depressed. It was really sad.”
You couldn’t blame Flora at all for having attachment issues. After all, the previous love of her life — her former owner — had passed away.
That’s just how the Williams family ended up adopting her from Best Friends Animal Society.
“She was extremely shy but over time, became the matriarch of our family,” Williams states. “And her calm, sweet disposition was just what our family needed.”
And Dexter, also a rescue, was a huge part of that family.
When the poor cat died, the Williams family wasted no time trying to patch that cat-shaped hole in Flora’s heart.
They soon adopted two young cats from Best Friends Animal Society. The trouble is, they weren’t quite the cuddling kind — at least not quite enough for Flora.
The giant malamute still sadly ached for her old friend.
The solution was actually to think even smaller
It turned out that hole needed to be filled not by cats, but by four kittens.
Almost from the moment Williams brought home the kittens — Iggy, Bowie, Roxy and Glamour — there was an immediate connection.
The feline foursome had been saved by Best Friends — and they desperately needed a foster family.
Or, as fate would have it, a foster dog.
The humans had prepared a very special place in one of the children’s bedrooms — filling it completely with cat beds and toys and bowls. And the children, as you might expect, were eager to host them.
JJ Williams made the new arrivals feel right at home. (Photo: Jill Williams/Best Friends Animal Society)
“We’ve instilled in them the importance of rescue work — and that by fostering kittens — they would be preparing these little fuzzballs for a happy and bright future,” Williams states.
However, Iggy, Bowie, Roxy and Glamour had other ideas. One by one, they ambled up to the big, lonesome dog.
“Iggy was the first brave boy,” Williams states. “He went right up to Flora and sniffed her nose. She gently brought her face down to meet his and got a huge smile on her face.”
Climbing ‘Mount Flora’ soon became a popular pastime for the rambunctious kittens. (Photo: Jill Williams/Best Friends Animal Society)
Seeing their brave sibling nuzzle right up the the great furry behemoth that was Flora, the others quite quickly scampered into the scene. Flora hardly stirred, letting the kittens warily approach and edge right up to her nose.
There was the expected mutual body sniffing.
But then … kittens.
Flora with her kittens. (Photo: Jill Williams/Best Friends Animal Society)
“Glamour climbed up Flora’s side, sniffing her ears and eyes,” Williams remembers. “Flora just laid there with a big, squinty smile on her face. It was so cute.”
And then, at last, they all decided to come together.
“I truly think Flora is the kitten whisperer,” Williams states.
As for Iggy, Bowie, Roxy and Glamour, well, they will eventually have to move on when they manage to find a permanent home. If you yourself you’re interested, get in touch with
Flora probably won’t pine for them for too long. Williams explained that the kitten whisperer can probably expect another batch of rescued babies in the future, all looking for the same kind of loving start in life only she can offer.
Watch a video of Flora and friends below:
