Royalty. Cold. Cunning. As funny as it seems to be, the three words mentioned can be used in describing the cats we are taking care of. Surprisingly, despite the common notion that a cat often only cares about itself, a feline from Denmark is gaining attention on the internet after becoming a foster mom of an injured baby squirrel.
Decan Anderson, was enjoying the day and was relaxing inside his apartment in Denmark during that fateful day. As he was recharging himself, Decan saw an astonishing sight. Apparently, a small and fragile baby red squirrel fell from the roof of his apartment building and landed in the garden of the apartment complex.
Given the delicate body of a newborn baby squirrel, in addition of the height of the fall, Decan sensed that the baby squirrel was suffering from bad injuries. Quickly, he rushed out of his apartment space and headed towards the garden to help the adorable but injured rodent.
Upon reaching the injured and poor baby squirrel, Decan noticed that its mother came for it. However, despite coming back to check on the baby squirrel, the mother simply left its poor baby. Perhaps, the mother left due to the injuries of the baby squirrel.
Empathizing with the poor baby squirrel, Decan took the adorable rodent inside his apartment space and called for the help of a veterinarian.
Decan has two cats in his apartment home, a male cat named Tiger, and a female cat named Coco. Tiger was not an indoor cat so the male feline was not home when Decan brought the baby squirrel inside his home. However, Coco was there and slowly approached the adorable rodent with curiosity.
While Decan was busy on the phone, speaking with a veterinarian that would check on the baby squirrel’s injuries, Coco crept up on the injured rodent.
Much to Decan’s surprise, his indoor cat nuzzled and licked the baby squirrel. The cat lover then realized that it was Coco’s way of saying she would be the foster mom of the hurting baby squirrel.
Decan brought the baby squirrel to his trusted veterinarian and was relieved to find out that its injuries were not alarming. Knowing that the baby squirrel has no other place to go to, he decided to share his home with the recovering baby squirrel. Decan game it a name and called it as Tintin.
A few weeks after he and Coco rescued Tintin, Coco nursed Tintin as if it was a cat. Tintin then got used to his warm domestic surrounding and quickly adapted to his new sheltered environment.
Decan knew that if Tintin would be released to its natural habitat, it won’t be able to survive on its own in the wild. Afraid that something bad might happen to Tintin, Decan decided to keep Tintin permanently.
And since keeping red squirrels as a pet in Denmark is illegal, Decan exerted time and effort in legalizing his ownership to Tintin, ensuring that the baby red squirrel would spend the rest of its life together with its new foster mother, Coco.
For the following two years, Tintin blossomed from being a vulnerable baby squirrel into a happy adult squirrel. Just as always, Coco seemed to keep a close eye on the squirrel she treated as her own baby. Strange as it sounds, Coco even made sure that Tiger realizes that Tintin is a part of their family and not a food.
Tintin liked spending time with Anderson and his two kids, but Coco was his one true love. Coco always kept a close eye on the little squirrel. She also made sure her brother Tiger knew that Tintin was part of their family and not their food to eat.
Unfortunately, when Coco turned 5-years-old, she died in her sleep. Decan, Tiger, and Tintin were all distraught by their loss, however, it seems that it was Tiger who took the news the hardest.
Perhaps, it was the cat’s way to cope with the pain of losing his sister that Tiger took over the maternal role of Coco to Tintin. After Coco’s death, Tiger began cuddling with Tintin and the two became inseparable since then.
After losing Coco, Tiger seemed to decide that it is his job to protect Tintin now. Soon, the cat began cuddling with his squirrel brother. The two seemed to have found comfort in each other’s presence.
True enough, animals are able to understand and show emotions and attachments just like us humans. May Coco and Tintin’s story serve as a humbling reminder that animals are the same as humans in a lot of ways. Just as how humans are capable of helping each other, animals are capable of showing love, compassion, and kindness to their fellow animals as well!
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