You would expect to see a cat lounging around when you go to a friend or family member’s house. Heck, you may even have one yourself. When you visit the zoo, though, you go to see more exotic animals like lions and tigers and of course, bears.
You do not go expecting to see a regular domesticated housecat, not even around the larger cat exhibits that are so popular. It would be surprising to see one at all, much less in a bear’s enclosure. However, that is precisely what visitors see at California’s Folsom City Zoo.
The bears who call this zoo home enjoy dog food for a morning treat thanks to their caretakers. The employees who give the bears their daily treat were surprised to find a stray cat showing up for the morning ritual. The cat, bestowed with the moniker Little Bear by the zookeepers, was unfathomed by the 500+ pound bears enjoying their treats along with her.
Crazily enough, Little Bear went on to befriend one of the real bears in the habitat. The little cat can often be spotted resting in the shade with Sakoa, an older black bear.
You may think that a bear-cat friendship is odd, but this is not the first of its kind. In Thailand, a cute little sun bear named Ka Wao became best buds with The Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand’s (WFFT) self-made resident feline, George. In Berlin, Muschi the cat and Maeuschen the bear prance around and play together like it’s completely normal.
These odd couples just prove that the best friendships know no boundaries and can overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, including carnivorous appetites!