Baby liliger Kiara plays with her new foster mother - a domestic cat.

Kiara is a liliger - a hybrid cross between a lion and a ligress (a cross between a lion and a tiger). She was born recently at Novosibirsk Zoo in Russia.

Unfortunately, her mother stopped producing milk, so the zoo staff had to begin hand-feeding her from a bottle every three hours. In order to maintain the necessary around-the-clock feedings, keeper Roza Solovieva decided to take Kiara home to foster. There, Kiara met Roza's domestic cat, Darka.

As a mother to a kitten already, Darka immediately slipped into the role of parent, cleaning, cuddling, and playing with Kiara 24/7. Despite their affection for one another, Roza kept a close eye on the two.

Once Kiara was old enough to begin eating meat, it was just a matter of time before she would begin displaying predatory behavior; as such, it was time for her to return to her natural mother. The reintroduction went smoothly, and Kiara now happily resides at the zoo with her mother.

Pit Bull saves his family's cat from coyote attack

Pit bulls have a feared reputation as many people harbor negative stereotypical views about the breed, but in this story, our pit bull is the protagonist.

Jack is a rescue dog. His owner Peter Lewis is currently deployed in Afghanistan, so for the time being, Jack lives in Seminole, Florida with Peter’s mother, Sherree.

Jack also lives with Sherree’s rescue cat, Kitty. “He checks on her every day,” says Sherree, noting Jack’s protectiveness over Kitty.

Jack’s vigilance over Kitty has only increased since an attack she suffered in the previous week. Two coyotes on the family’s property had attacked her. Sherree describes walking to the window and seeing one coyote holding Kitty by the neck, the other by either the tail or back leg, shaking her violently.

“I never knew Jack could run that fast,” Sherree says, in awe of the memory of Jack rushing to save Kitty. Both coyotes took off at the site of him, and Kitty was rushed to the vet where she was successfully treated for her injuries.

“Jack is a hero,” Sherree said. “He saved the kitty’s life, and je just shows how good dogs can be.” Jack currently spends his days by Kitty’s side, keeping a watchful eye out the window in case any coyotes return.