Animals Can Have Friends Too!

Animals are a passion to me, but books follow close behind. Yesterday we picked up some books at the library, and along with the so-called "long lost" book of my favorite series, plus a rat guide-book, I found an amazing book o true incidents called Unlikely Friendships(by Jennifer S. Holland). It's about strange, weird, and even hilarious friendships between different animals. Take the lion, tiger, and bear. They were all abandoned in the wild, and they soon found each other in an animal rescue sanctuary. The trio love to sleep, eat, and even play together! Or what about the sheep and the elephant, brought together when the baby elephant's mother died suddenly, leaving the elephant sad? When the sheep was introduced to the baby elephant in hopes that he would make a good companion, the people at the sanctuary were amazed when the sheep did normal elephant things, such as taking a dust bath along with his buddy.

Some stories in the book you may have heard of. For instance, many remember Koko the gorilla that could speak ASL(American Sign Language), but did they know about her beloved pet kitten she named All Ball?
Many stories are just plain "wow". (Please don't try this at home!) A few years ago there was a hamster, jokingly called Gohan--meaning "meal" in Chinese-- who was supposedly about to become dinner for a rat snake. Instead of eating his live meal, the snake allowed the hamster to climb on his back, scurry around, and make his home in the home of the rat snake. There wasn't anything wrong with the snake; it just so happened to be a very special hamster, and lucky too!


If you think your pets could be in this book, you may be right! Some of the stories I encountered featured guinea pigs and rabbits living in harmony. My favorite funny story was a cat and a rat. They used the same litter-box, cuddled together on their owner's bed, and watched birds by the window. If you think that's outrageous, then get a load of this! Further research indicates that the owner has said that the rat rides on the cat's back to get a better view when "staking out!" Then, the rat climbs onto the counter when the owner isn't looking, and grabs the loot, no other than a few nibbles of dry cat food! The two dine on their favorite food in style--under the owner's bed!




This book is a great insight into how animals can care for each other. I personally thought it was beautiful to read, because it gave me a little laugh now and then, in-between those true awe-inspiring moments. THIS IS A MUST READ for all animal lovers, and that's a promise. You can find it at your local library, or if you are willing to pay a little at a bookstore so you can keep it for yourself, you won't be disappointed. Trust me, it is worth every penny!!