Interspecies Friendship: A Cat, a Dog and a Rat
While most people would think that some species are mortal enemies and could never get along, this story of interspecies friendship is a sweet lesson in love and companionship. Today we’ll tell you what we know about the three inseparable friends: a dog, a cat, and a rat.
Their owners refer to them as The Three Musketeers. It’s only because of their extremely different natures, as it isn’t common for a dog to get along with a cat, and much less a cat with a rodent. Of course, there are always exceptions to the rules.
The main characters of this beautiful story are a dog called Sasha, a two-tone cat who responds to the name of Jack, and a cute little black rat, Tweaks. The rodent just hangs out and roams around as if there were no danger. And the reason for that is that isn’t any danger! A change of fortune was the reason behind why the three animals ended up in the Oshkosh Area Humane Society (OAHS) in Wisconsin.
Interspecies friendship
The life of these friends was just like the life of any pet you may know. The three lived together in a home, where their owners loved and cared for them. They were never cold in winter, never hungry and abused. Unfortunately for them, their family lost their financial stability due to the 2008 economic crisis. They could no longer look after the animals.
This was the reason behind the difficult and painful decision to leave the three animals under the care of a local shelter. However, in the end, the three friends found a home and have a pretty decent life.
“The family had to reduce the size of their home and they didn’t have space for the three animals. That’s why they left them here. They are inseparable,” said Cheryl Rosenthal, Coordinator of Communications and Education at OAHS.
According to the shelter workers, the dog, the cat and the rat learned to live together and get along famously. This is why they can’t be separated even for a moment so giving them up for adoption to different families is out of the question. That was precisely one of the reasons why their human family had to give them up in the first place.
The arrival of the three friends at their new home
In case you were wondering what a dog/rat play session looked like. Sasha the dog and Tweaks the rat have a great time together!
由 Oshkosh Area Humane Society 发布于 2017年3月20日周一
When the owners of the dog, cat, and rat placed them at the OAHS shelter, they had to subject them to some tests in order to find out more about their health. They started with the feline, who had to leave his friends for a few minutes. It was then when they noticed a sudden change in his behavior.
According to Cheryl, the cat was very fearful. The animal didn’t cooperate with the vet and hissed at every attempt to touch him. One of the assistants advised taking the dog along for company and the change in Jack’s attitude was amazing. As soon as the dog came in, the cat relaxed, knowing that his friend was right there by his side.
After witnessing that, they decided to also bring in the third member of the inseparable trio. The volunteers were in awe of how Tweaks ran towards Sasha (the dog) and how they immediately started licking each other.
Afterward, the staff left the three animals alone in a room in order to monitor them. They then saw how the rodent chose a spot under the legs of the cat, who was sleeping at the time. They both stayed there and the rat even joined in on the nap.
The trio find a new home
From that moment on, the people in charge of the shelter started referring to them as “The Rat Pack,” and made the decision to make them permanent residents.
One day a couple interested in adopting a dog and a cat came into the shelter. They really wanted to take Sasha and Jack home. However, they declined as soon as they learned that the combo also included a rat. The prospective adopter, Kathy, who didn’t like rats said, “no way.” However, she then had a change of heart. The workers introduced her to Tweaks and she fell in love with the unusual rodent.
They lived happily ever after in their new home with a loving family that can keep up with their needs for space and sustenance. The very best part is they get to stay together and maintain their interspecies friendship!