Cali and her new sibling, Nia, are nearly the same age, born just days apart. They are alike in many ways, erxcept one — they are of different species.

In September, Cali, a mixed-breed pup, was adopted by the Cincinnati Zoo’s Cat Ambassador Program. The program, which educates people about wild animals and conservation, pairs a cheetah cub with a canine puppy for the cheetah’s first year.

“We would love to raise baby cheetah’s together, that is the best case scenario. Unfortunately Nia’s other two siblings did not survive and that is the reason she is being hand raised. Cheetah’s generally have three to five cubs,” Kathy Watkins, cat ambassador trainer with the Cincinnati Zoo, said. “The reason we adopted a puppy was to help raise and socialize our new cheetah cub.”

An ambassador animal, she explained, is one that is trained to be taken out to schools and other organizations to educate about wild animals and conservation.

The program’s trainers believe that raising an ambassador animal with another, similar animal, is the most successful combination.

“Although a domestic dog and wild cat sound very different, they grow and learn the same. It is vital for all baby animals to play and rough house with others, that is how wild animals become successful adults,” Watkins said. “We needed a puppy that was similar in age to Nia, and the puppies at the Clinton County Humane Society were perfect.”

Watkins explained that it is important that the puppy is confident, playful, and socialized.

“When I got the OK from the zoo to get a puppy, I started my search. It was important to me to rescue a dog so the first place I looked was Petfinder.com,” Watkins said.

That Web site is where she saw dogs, young and old, available for adoption at the Clinton County Humane Society.

“Our puppy and their cheetah were two days apart,” said Becky Thumma, president of the Clinton County Humane Society. “They adopted her the day they came out because the dog really matched everything they wanted.”

“We instantly fell in love,” Watkins said. “Cali was chosen because, well, she picked me. She kept coming back to me to play with her and wanting to sit on my lap. We knew she would be the best dog for me long-term and perfect to be a playmate and best friend for Nia.”

Cali’s lineage is undetermined. Her mother was a mixed Labrador Retriever, and the father is unknown. According to Thumma, Cali’s mother gave birth to a litter of 13 puppies.

“This is the first such program we’ve ever dealt with,” Thumma said. “Petfinder is our best source.”

Through Petfinder, Thumma has orchestrated many out-of-state, and out-of-county adoptions.

“They just raise them for a year together,” she added. “The cheetahs are taken out to schools when they get a little older.”

“After about one year, Cali will come to live with me permanently,” Watkins said.

Thumma said this is the Cincinnati Zoo’s fourth year in having this program.

Dogs, puppies, cats and kittens can be adopted from the Clinton County Humane Society by filling out a questionnaire and arranging for an appointment on the Web site www.clintoncohumanesociety.org.