Mother’s Day has passed, but those of you with very young kittens could still benefit from the attentions of the SnuggleKittie, billed as a “virtual mom” for bottle babies, orphans, singletons, strays, rescues, pound puppies--and YOU!

Several years ago while at Tufts Animal Expo, I discovered this unique product. It has a battery powered “heart” that mimics the beat of the real mom-cat’s heart, nested inside a plush cat-shaped body. There’s also a heat source that warms the stuffed animal so it feels good to the little ones. And the tummy pocket can even hold a baby bottle, to mimic the pose of all kittens when snuggling and nursing.

This more-than-a-toy also comes in animal shapes to appeal to puppies, ferrets and even birds. For the nervous human, it also works magic. You can find out more about the SnuggleKittie at www.snuggleme.com