About a month ago, someone dropped off a baby squirrel at Colbert County Ala., Animal Control. Workers weren’t sure what to do with the young animal — until an employee recalled a mother cat who seemed upset by the loss of her kitten. The animal control employees decided to put the pair together, with excellent results, the Florence (Ala.) Times Daily reports.
Momma, as shelter staff call the cat, immediately adopted the baby squirrel as her own. “She immediately started cleaning him when we put him in the cage with her,” said animal control supervisor Kenny Price. Staff supervised the interaction to make sure the cat didn’t harm the squirrel, but “she took him right in,” Price said.
Momma feeds the squirrel, cleans him and even has taught him how to use the litterbox. Though shelter employees were surprised by that behavior at first, they now say it makes sense. “He thinks that he’s a cat,” Price said. “Momma teaches him that he’s a cat.”
Like any toddler, the squirrel won’t leave his adopted mother alone. He enjoys riding on the cat’s back, and will grunt and grumble when put in a separate cage. Shelter employees separate the two sometimes to give Momma some time to herself.
Both the cat and squirrel are available for adoption, and employees hope both animals find good homes — especially Momma. “We want people to love her and take her in, the way she loved and took in the squirrel,” Price said. “She’s so sweet, and it’s just hard to find homes for cats.”
To view a photo of the cat and squirrel, click here.