Animals can be so caring and compassionate — they have a surprising and wonderful ability to sense when someone is in need of a friend, and won’t hesitate to provide some comfort.
This compassion is often on display among shelter animals. When pets first arrive in shelters, it can be a very scary experience, but in many cases another animal will take them under their wing and help them out.
That was the case recently, after one tiny kitten escaped his cage to spend the night cuddling and comforting a scared shelter dog.
According to a post from Greenside Animal Hospital, they recently took in a ginger kitten, between 6 and 8 weeks old, who was found as a stray.
Because they weren’t sure of the Ginger’s vaccination status, they placed him in their isolation ward. The only other pet in isolation was a dog named Anne, also a former stray, who was receiving intensive medical treatment for biliary.
Per policy, the hospital kept the dog and cat separated in different cages. But one night, they discovered the orange kitten “broke all the rules” for a heartwarming reason.
They discovered Giner had not only slipped out of his own cage, but he made it into the Anne’s cage. “Fortunately the little dog showed no aggression towards the kitten,” Greenside Animal Hospital wrote.
On the contrary: they were amazed to find the dog and the kitten had spent the night cuddling together.
Perhaps Ginger sensed that Anne was in need of a friend: she was in new surroundings after being a stray, was undergoing treatments and was mostly isolated — it must’ve been a scary time for the pup, and the cat decided she could use a cuddle to know he wasn’t alone.
Or perhaps Ginger was scared, too, and knew his doggie roommate would be a kindred spirit to bond with. Whatever the reason, the two clearly had a relaxing night: “We found them cuddled up together, asleep,” the hospital wrote.
And while it was against their usual policies, the hospital realized the animals had formed a bond that could benefit them both.
“Our veterinary team deemed this new friendship therapeutic for both animals and decided to leave the two of them together for warmth and companionship,” they wrote.
According to The Dodo, Anne and Ginger are now officially roommates: “After initially discovering them together, we moved the kitten back into his cage, as his litter box, food and water was in there, but he immediately made his way out of the cage and back to his friend,” Dr. Joubert Viljoen and Dr. Suzette Greube, the hospital’s owners, told The Dodo.
Their heartwarming story has now gone viral, being shared over 700 times on Facebook. Moved by the cat’s sweet kindness, the hospital said it was the kind of story we need in the world right now.
“In a time of war, separation and aggression in the human world, it is cathartic to witness such a great example of peace and comfort between different species in the animal world. We are inspired by this experience and hope for peace and healing for humankind!”
What a precious, compassionate cat. We’re so glad these two rescue animals have each other — we wish them the best and hope they can find homes soon!
We agree, this is the kind of story the world needs right now. Please share this inspiring story! 🥰
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