A dog has overcome a lifelong fear of cats and is now the perfect stand-in mother - to foster kittens.<br /><br />Border collie Phoebe was terrified of cats when owner Aki Yamaguchi adopted her from a foster service.<br /><br />Aki, a photographer, said: "One day we were walking down our street and there was a stray cat standing there. She just freaked out, barking, lunging and running around."<br /><br />To help Phoebe get over her fear, Aki decided to foster kittens and eased her into living with them. <br /><br />Initially Phoebe was scared - but within a week-and-a-half, she warmed up and now dotes on the little bundles of fluff.<br /><br />"At first, she was growling and hiding. I waited five days to introduce them through the puppy gate but within a week and a half they were inseparable.<br /><br />"It turned out that she loves kittens a lot. I think it's her calling.<br /><br />"She's completely crazy. She's wild sunny and playful, but when the kittens are little she immediately changes, she slows down and gets eye to eye to not scare them.<br /><br />"She understands size and how vulnerable they are."<br /><br />Phoebe, who is three, now acts as a surrogate mother and pampers the kittens when they are young. <br /><br />She plays with the kittens, cuddles them, lets them sleep on her stomach, and moves around on their eye level so as to not scare them.<br /><br />Aki, from Houston, Texas, USA, regularly fosters kittens before they are placed with permanent owners. <br /><br />She added: "I think Phoebe plays different roles When they're young she's a mama, and helps them go potty and lets them hide under her tummy.<br /><br />"Once they get older, she's like a sibling and plays with them. I call her a grandma dog, because she plays with them but never gets mad."
