cats can'tbe a;;bad:

[davet]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060310/ap_ ... HNlYwM5NjQ

[momPaws]

ok, davet, it took me forever but I found a pic of the 2 of them together...



....ain't unconditional love grand : )


.

[Tambrey]

what a great story and adorable pic!

[Traci]

This is not a "good match" and I hope they use some common sense to protect the cat....orangutans, chimps, apes etc are unpredictable...remember Koko's kitten?

[Tambrey]

this is true that they can be unpredictable...

I never knew what happened to Koko, soI googled, and according to ask yahoo, Koko escaped from the cage and was hit by a car...is there another story I am not finding?

[Traci]

That's the story, but I remember years ago, someone from National Geographic reported the kitten (named All Ball) was killed by the gorilla (supposedly accidently). Koko had had several other kittens and cats since then and her keepers claimed she was "gentle" with each and every one of them, but the point is, these animals are unpredictable and a kitten or cat (or every other animal) is defenseless with them.

I hate it when zookeepers and the media paint such fuzzy pictures, and they call it "education".

[TheSkeptic]

Traci is unpedictability is a problem than humans shouldh't be allowed to have pets. We are one of the most unpredictable species around. There was a story I read some years ago about an Ape at a zoo that adopted a cat. They lived together fo 16 years and died within a few weeks of each other.

[Tambrey]

I guess that what it boils down to is that anything...anyone...everything...everyone...is unpredictable to an extent and all wecan do is beas cautious as possible...

I know that sometimes...many times...in nature, the moms will harm or kill their own offspring...so I guess I see it sort of like the gorilla or orangutan, or whatever, would be caring for the kitten (or other "pet") as if it were their own baby?...

Hopefully the humans in charge will take charge as needed...

My former sister-in-law was the dietician at the zoo in Tucson for many years...one of her friends handles the elephants and another the polar bears...the elephants will massage their handlers feet and legs after a long day...she sits at the edge of thier pool and takes off her boots and they use their trunks...she also walks around with carrotsin her back pocket and they will give her a hug to sneak one out...but she also knows they are still wild animals and always in on ther alert and has her stick to get them under control if necessary...

The male polar bear mauled his handler...she was not aware the door between his pen and the open area was not secure, and she went in to clean...she was in his area, he charged the door and it opened...she was severely innjured, but she went back...she said it was not his fault...to not harm him...she should have double checked the door before going further, and he was just being a wild animaland protecting what was his...and to this day, she still works with the polar bears...

Humans who care for the animals need to be aware of what all can happen, and take precautions and always be prepared and on the alert when they are with the animals...

[Traci]

Skeptic, my problem is with people who use animals as exploitation, and then call it education. In this case, a gorilla or orangutan and a cat are not a "good match" in the natural world, and I doubt a few examples could be considered the rule. While such "bonds" between any two species are remarkable, there is always an inherent danger present, and education should start there.

I agree with you that some people shouldn't be allowed to have pets. However, if we are such a superior species, then is it not somewhat incumbent upon us to protect the "lesser" species? (particularly when it is humans who have exploited them or caused any other harm)

[preciousdaddy84]

In the "natural world" cats should be free and wild like they were born yet we as the "superior species" feel the need to use animals (cats) as our companions. I am guilty of this, I love my cats and I am happy to have them, but if we're going to get that deep into the subject who's really to say that the monkey cat have a the cat as it's companion?