Pit Bull Wary About New Rescue Kittens Quickly Turns Into Their Personal Heater

Anyone who's ever been around kittens knows how much the cute little fuzzballs like to climb all over the nearest warm-blooded creature, whether human, feline, or canine. It's a lesson Marley the pit bull quickly learned in a YouTube video published by The Dodo that's been viewed more than 708,000 times.

Charli Duffy, founder of the Arc Animal Sanctuary in Lefkada, Greece, explained in the video that Marley seemed baffled by the kittens at first. "He didn't really understand why they were trying to crawl on him and why they wanted his body heat and why they wanted to give him cuddles," she said. At a certain point, he started to enjoy being around the tiny cats. Duffy imagined the doggo's dawning realization: "You know, they're quite squishy and cuddly and they like to keep me warm and lay on me like little blankets." 

Marley has now helped to raise almost 30 kittens. Duffy outlined his very important role: "He's the comfort blanket, the hot water bottle, the pillow, the duvet, the comforter to all of my kitties." Several viewers of the video praised the patient pit bull's sweetness, loyalty, and affection. One viewer wrote, "Marley is very patient! Those little needle claws are sharp on kittens." Another commented, "There's a reason they are called nanny dogs. His face though is like 'I'm a single mom who works too hard!!!'"

Myths and misconceptions abound regarding pit bulls and other bully breeds of dog. One frequently repeated myth is that pit bulls have locking jaws. There is no truth to the idea that pitties — or any other dog breeds — have a different anatomy that allows their jaws to lock in place. Another commonly held belief is that pit bulls are inherently dangerous and aggressive, making them terrible family pets. This notion is also completely untrue, but it's so widespread that many places have banned them as pets. 

Each dog of any breed has an individual personality and temperament that are shaped by genetics, training, environment, and countless other factors. As one viewer of the Dodo video wrote, "Marley is so precious!! It's all in the way Pitties are raised and socialized, like every breed."

Many people talk about pit bulls as if they are a single breed. Actually, "pit bull" is a catchall term used to refer to bully breeds such as the American pit bull terrier, the Staffordshire bull terrier, and the American Staffordshire terrier. Still need more proof that bully breeds can be absolute sweethearts? Check out this four-pound pit bull foster puppy wearing pajamas for the first time, and these dachshund puppies being raised by an American bulldog.