A stray calico cat in St. Petersburg, Russia was looking for food, water, and maybe a little love, too. The cat crept into a zoo where it found the food and drink; the only problem was that it was in the lynx’s enclosure! Onlookers were afraid this wasn’t going to end well. Surely the lynx, so much larger, was literally going to eat the cat for lunch.
A lynx is a medium-sized cat, in the sense that it’s much larger than a house cat but much smaller than a mountain lion. An adult generally weighs between 40 and 65 pounds. They’re instantly recognizable by their beautiful spotted fur, bobbed tail, and long black ear tufts. They tend to live in forested areas, since these provide hiding places and abundant opportunities for stalking prey. And speaking of prey, the lynx mostly goes for small game like rabbits, hare, various rodents, grouses, and the occasional red fox. Lynx have also been known to hunt deer and swipe the occasional sheep. They’re very powerful for their size: one enterprising lynx managed to kill a large deer weighing 330 pounds, that is, at least 5 times its own size!
But to return to the stray calico, it was just a youngster when it first went into the lynx’s enclosure. This may have had something to do with what happened next. Instead of making quick work of the cat, the lynx seemed to take a downright maternal attitude toward it. As you’ll see in the video we’ve posted below, the two of them are just like a mother cat and her kitten. They lick each other, head-butt, and snuggle.
The calico became a regular visitor, so zoo staff decided to run with it and officially adopt the cat. The unlikely friends ended up living together, each providing the other with much needed companionship and love.
Isn’t it great when cats get along? We’d love to hear from you in the Facebook comments and be sure to like and share!
