|
|
|
Stories abound describing examples of interspecies relationships. We love hearing about these unusual alliances. John Wright, PhD, a certified animal behaviorist, says “we are moved by tales of interspecies affection because we know just how wonderful a good friendship is. It’s easy to put ourselves in their place and imagine how they feel about each other.”
Sometimes there isn’t even time to form a bond…instead a chance encounter reveals an unexpected affinity. A tabby cat named Arthur accompanied his owners on a tour boat excursion at a Florida marine park...(don’t ask me how or why!) Two dolphins named Thunder and Shiloh performed as expected and popped up out of the water by the side of the boat so they could receive attention from the folks aboard. Surprisingly they were affectionately tapped on the nose by Arthur. He showed no fear and confidently leaned over the rail to interact with his new friends. The dolphins seemed to be delighted by this attention and responded by returning several times and nuzzling Arthur as he pawed at their noses. This event was videotaped and has been widely circulated on the internet. It is charming.
Another cat-dolphin affinity is also documented on the internet. A resident pet cat at an aquarium regularly sits by the edge of the pool and his dolphin friend comes to greet and nuzzle him.
In Japan a 3-year old calico cat has become a surrogate mother to a pair of ducklings. The recently hatched ducklings were mistakenly left in the same room as the cat. The owner feared the worst but when he returned he found all three of them snuggled together. This caring cat had recently lost three kittens and decided to adopt the ducklings. She nurtured and gently groomed them as if they were her own and always allowed them to cuddle up for warmth.
A farm cat in Britain also had a feline-fowl relationship. Gladys, a young chicken, was the only survivor of a fox attack that killed 13 chicks. She was brought into the home to keep her safe. Snowy, the cat, adopted the chick and they became very affectionate with each other and remained close friends.
It is not that unusual for cats and dogs to become comrades. They often nestle together for naps. Some of my own cats have even become rough-and-tumble playmates with our dogs. It is so much fun to watch them use their unique feline and canine instincts in their play battles.
Stories abound describing examples of interspecies relationships. We love hearing about these unusual alliances. John Wright, PhD, a certified animal behaviorist, says “we are moved by tales of interspecies affection because we know just how wonderful a good friendship is. It’s easy to put ourselves in their place and imagine how they feel about each other.”
Sometimes there isn’t even time to form a bond…instead a chance encounter reveals an unexpected affinity. A tabby cat named Arthur accompanied his owners on a tour boat excursion at a Florida marine park...(don’t ask me how or why!) Two dolphins named Thunder and Shiloh performed as expected and popped up out of the water by the side of the boat so they could receive attention from the folks aboard. Surprisingly they were affectionately tapped on the nose by Arthur. He showed no fear and confidently leaned over the rail to interact with his new friends. The dolphins seemed to be delighted by this attention and responded by returning several times and nuzzling Arthur as he pawed at their noses. This event was videotaped and has been widely circulated on the internet. It is charming.
Another cat-dolphin affinity is also documented on the internet. A resident pet cat at an aquarium regularly sits by the edge of the pool and his dolphin friend comes to greet and nuzzle him.
In Japan a 3-year old calico cat has become a surrogate mother to a pair of ducklings. The recently hatched ducklings were mistakenly left in the same room as the cat. The owner feared the worst but when he returned he found all three of them snuggled together. This caring cat had recently lost three kittens and decided to adopt the ducklings. She nurtured and gently groomed them as if they were her own and always allowed them to cuddle up for warmth.
A farm cat in Britain also had a feline-fowl relationship. Gladys, a young chicken, was the only survivor of a fox attack that killed 13 chicks. She was brought into the home to keep her safe. Snowy, the cat, adopted the chick and they became very affectionate with each other and remained close friends.
It is not that unusual for cats and dogs to become comrades. They often nestle together for naps. Some of my own cats have even become rough-and-tumble playmates with our dogs. It is so much fun to watch them use their unique feline and canine instincts in their play battles.
When a 9-week-old collie puppy was brought home by Susan Fox, she claims that her three cats took over and educated him about everything he needed to know…at least from a cat’s perspective. They raised him to respect them and, according to Susan, they taught him to speak “cat” as a second language. The pup learned to do feline type nose-to-nose greetings and as he matured, the cats tolerated his rear-end sniffing.
Dr. Wright says that these unlikely animal connections can thrive if both animals belong to a social species. Given the right circumstances they form close bonds. Young mammals are especially open to thermo-tactile sensations, a combination of warmth and softness, thus the snuggling behavior we often see in these alliances. The instinct to nurture the young of any species can also be a factor.
In a way, knowing of these unusual animal friendships, is reassuring. They give us hope that anything is possible. I have heard people say that often animals demonstrate more sense and love for each other than a lot of humans. They manage to get along in spite of being so different.
Anne Divine is a long time member of LAWS and has volunteered at Animal Control for 18 years.
