Jump to content

Cute Critters to Take Our Minds Off Everyday Stresses


quoththeraven

Recommended Posts

  • Replies 1.1k
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

It was Memorial Day 2020 when a driver in New Jersey spotted a small black kitten on the side of the road.

Her eyes were closed. She was blind. Her mother had been killed by a car.

So he picked up the kitten and took her to Funny Farm, a rescue outfit where no animal in need is turned away.

“She was near death,” recalled Laurie Zaleski, who runs the place in Mays Landing. “That little kitten wasn’t going to make it.”

A day later, a police officer arrived. He’d also found an abandoned animal — a duckling.

Zaleski put the two orphans together. “They kept each other warm,” she said. 

FUNNY FARM by Laurie Zaleski

And so it was that Hope the kitten got her own seeing-eye duck, Jello, who delighted in helping the tiny feline find her way around.  

“That’s the happiest little duck you ever saw,” Zalesky said.

Theirs is just one of many unlikely bonds she’s witnessed among her band of 600 misfits. There are dogs helping chickens. A llama who adopted a donkey. A German shepherd and blind lamb who are best friends. 

Zaleksi, who wrote a new book, “Funny Farm,” about starting the sanctuary as a tribute to her late mom, says humans can learn from what goes on there. 

“They’re all brothers and sisters here,” she said.

“We have a kindness program where we go to all these schools. We tell the kids, ‘These animals all get along together so maybe you guys can, too.'”

Hope the kitten and Jello the duck

Hope the blind kitten and her seeing-eye duck Jello. Laurie Zaleski

Hope, found blind, was lucky to arrive at the farm just one day before Jello, who took the tiny feline under his wing and acts as her seeing-eye duck.


Scooby-Doo the dog and Bradley the lamb

Scooby Doo and Bradley

This little lamb, Bradley, got off to a rough start: His mom refused to let him nurse, and he was blind. But once he arrived at the farm, Scooby-Doo adopted him. Now Bradley and the big dog, a German shepherd who had been abandoned in an apartment in Brooklyn, are best buddies.


Yogi the cow and Cooper the alpaca

Yogi the steer and his best friend, Cooper the alpaca, are inseparable. Matt Reeves

These longtime pals share a pen but have to be careful when getting close — Yogi once accidentally poked the alpaca in the side with his horn. While Cooper needed medical care and a week to recover, Yogi clearly missed his buddy, laying on the ground and refusing to eat any treats. But, caretaker Laurie Zaleski said, he perked right up when Cooper returned.


Lorenzo the llama and Jethro the mini donkey

Lorenzo the llama and his best buddy, Jethro the fifty-year-old mini donkey. Laurie Zaleski

After Jethro lost his longtime companion Smokey the horse, the 50-year-old mini donkey stopped eating, avoided other animals and seemed inconsolable. Enter Lorenzo, who bonded with the heartbroken Jethro and helped him regain his health. The two enjoy one of the strongest friendships on the farm.


Nemo the baby goat and Tad the chicken

funny-farm-10.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w

These two bunk mates sleep next to each other every night, after hanging out together on the farm during the day.


Adele the chicken and E’yore the donkey

funny-farm-11.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w

Known as the diva of the hen house, Adele does not like cold tootsies. Her favorite way to warm up her feet is by sinking them into the coat of E’yore, who seems happy about it.


Pinky the baby emu and Puppy the miniature schnauzer

funny-farm-12.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w

Pinky has splayed legs and needs a special brace to walk on her own, but that doesn’t bother Puppy. The two chase each other around for hours, until it’s time for nap.


Cowboy the goat, Reggie the sheep, Yogi the cow and Farley the dog

At the Funny Farm, animals of different species get along. Cowboy the goat, Reggie the sheep, Yogi the steer, and Farley the dog, all have a special bond and are known as the Fabulous Four. Laurie Zaleski

The embodiment of getting by with a little help from your friends, this group is known as the farm’s Fab Four.

https://nypost.com/2022/03/01/the-blind-kitten-with-a-seeing-eye-duck-and-other-farm-friends/

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
On 2/22/2022 at 4:39 AM, mike carey said:

Magpies have outwitted scientists by helping each other remove tracking devices:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-02-22/magpies-show-cooperative-behaviour-by-removing-tracking-device/100851458

When I moved to San Diego with my two cats, I put flea collars on them because fleas are a problem in San Diego. The red collars had little bells and looked very dapper (on Willy) and pretty (on Hillary). When I came home later in the day, they greeted me as usual but they were not wearing their collars. Later, I was sitting on the sofa and Willy walked up. He deposited a collar on my foot, looked up at me, turned around, flicked his tail, and walked away.

I never put a collar on them again.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...