Unexpected animal friendships are some of my favorite stories to write. There’s something inexplicably heartwarming about seeing two seemingly opposite creatures bond in spite of their differences. On a very real level, it kind of serves as an inspiration; maybe, if we all try real hard, us humans can learn to get along with each other too.
Most recently, I came across a clip of the most heartwarming friendship shared by a mini horse and a chubby, ginger cat.
The cat, named Mango, and the horse, named Piper, appear to be the best of friends. The person who uploaded the video, Kathryn Miller, explains that the animals live on a 161-acre farm with other minis, regular-sized horses, felines, and dogs. Now, my first instinct upon hearing this is that it may be hard to keep all these animals under control. But, if this video is any indication, Miller seems to be doing purrrfectly.
In the adorable 30-second clip, we see a chubby Mango walk up to Piper the mini horse, demanding love and affection. As the feline approaches the little horsy, she immediately starts headbutting and rubbing on the horse’s face.
As Mango rubs up on her buddy, you can see her tail sway happily in the air. Piper, for her part, seems completely content, looking downwards and letting Mango rub her back on her chin.
When you first hear of a cat-horse friendship, your initial reactions may be surprise and shock. After a while of writing animal stories, however, I’ve discovered that these friendships are more common than we may think.
Harrison Weir, the iconic “Father of Cat Fancy”, wrote (via Petful), “Cats are, as a rule, fond of horses, and the feeling is generally reciprocated.”
The article details a myriad of other feline-horse friendships, including an Abyssinian named Sparkie who “takes walks to the stables and visits with the horses and stable girls. He even rides on one of the horses he has a connection with.” Another cat from Australia, named Morris, enjoys taking rides on Champy, her best horse friend’s back.
It’s common knowledge that when cats rub up on things, they are claiming them as their own. According to sources, Mango is simply telling Piper, “I love you so much” and “You’re part of my gang.”
