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In 1996, a three year old child fell 18 feet into a gorilla exhibit. Binta, a large gorilla, gently carried the child to a door. The animal reasoned that it was a safe place for the child since humans came in and out of the door to feed them. Dr. Patterson, Director of the Gorilla Foundation, notes that "Although Binta's maternal instinct might lead her to pick up the child, her intelligence was demonstrated when she moved the child to the human access door."
Recently, my husband removed a panel from the bottom of the dishwasher exposing a small hole. My curious ferret, Ming, climbed through the hole and became stuck when she tried to get out.
Alarmed when Ming appeared to experience breathing problems, I decided to get the chain saw and cut her free. Instead, my Ragdoll cat jumped into action. He grabbed Ming by the scruff of the neck and pulled her free.
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It appears that the cat was thinking and I was not.
Go figure!
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Keep reading for more stories about the Ferret and the Cat...
Page created on 7/27/2014 11:01:40 AM
Last edited 7/27/2014 11:01:40 AM
Two weeks before Christmas, the SPCA phoned me. They asked, "Will you be a foster parent to a three week old kitten?" I visted the SPCA that very day.
At the midnight hour I raced upstairs to give that bundle of fur a bottle. The kitty, not happy to be awakened, looked at me quizzically. Later, the veterinarian explained, "The kitten looks about six weeks old and does not need a bottle every four hours."
Two years old now, the Ragdoll still acts like a kitten. He and my ferret Ming play all morning. The cat carries the ferret by the scruff of the neck if the ferret does not follow properly. Ferrets have short attention spans and get sidetracked.
Bored easily, the mischievous cat bats at birds on the back porch and frequently bites the telephone cord in half. I read an article that suggests a cat needs entertainment. The article notes that swimming fish are an ideal diversion for a cat. Besides, a green-eyed cat's gaze is not disturbing to a fish.
One afternoon, I arrived home carrying a water filled plastic bag with two fish. The orange fish gulped, but my daughter said that's normal for a fish. Happily, they soon swam in their new home.
For special effects, the tank lights up like a Chinese Junk luring a viewer to the ocean's depths. A sunken ship and a pirates's treasure wave in the currents. Clearly, Kitty finds the sight bracing.
One morning, Ferret Ming did the weasel war-dance to entertain the Ragdoll. Kitty returned the favor and carried Ferret Ming upstairs to view his water toy. When I heard splashing, I too ran upstairs. Surprised, I saw Ferret Ming swimming with the fish.
