One of the key team members at a senior dog rescue in San Francisco is a four-legged friend that doesn't bark — it's a cat.
That feline works at Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, where a calm, dog-savvy presence helps staff judge whether older dogs might be able to live with cats.
What happened?
According to The Dodo, Muttville's first cat tester was Mustache, an orange cat who helped staff see how resident dogs responded to cats. In an Instagram video, Mustache appears relaxed as staff members introduce him to several pups.
Muttville wrote, "Mustache was so confident and so calm. His easy-going energy was ideal for cat testing." The rescue added that "Most of the time, he would just observe the dogs and let them approach him. But sometimes, he had opinions about the dogs, and that was OK, too."
Mustache was also a hospice foster battling advanced kidney disease, and his guardian, Missy Dominguez, said, "Three years ago, I promised to give Mustache a home for whatever time he had left. It turned out to be one of the best promises I've ever made."
After Mustache died from kidney failure, another feline, Little Dude, took over the role.
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Why does it matter?
The cat-testing job serves a practical purpose for both adopters and the dogs they bring home. Patty Stanton of Muttville Senior Dog Rescue told The Dodo, "Approximately 40% of our applicants have a cat in the household and ask how the dog is with cats."
By screening those interactions in advance, the rescue can make better adoption matches and reduce the risk that an animal will be returned due to problems with other pets. For senior dogs in particular, a well-matched home can mean less stress, more stability, and a better chance to spend their later years in comfort.
With the help of one calm cat, rescue staff can place more dogs in homes where they'll fit well.
What are people saying?
The people around Mustache and Little Dude saw them as more than just test cats. Stanton said, "Mustache now has a legacy as the original cat tester, and Little Dude is up for the job."
Koreena Walsh, Muttville Senior Dog Rescue's donor engagement officer and Little Dude's human, said of the new recruit: "He's super dog-savvy and reads their body language like a pro."
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