Normally, felines and birds don't have a friendly relationship, but a cat named Della is turning this preconceived notion on its head. Within an hour or so of giving birth on a farm in Count Offaly, Ireland, Della came across three newly hatched ducklings and instead of attacking them, the motherly feline brought them back to her box and began nurturing them.
According to the farm's owners, Ronan and Emma Lally, the timing of this unusual event couldn't have been better. It was just right because the Della's hormone level change from giving birth heightened her nurturing instincts. If she had met the ducklings just a few hours earlier or later, her instincts might have caused her to eat them instead.
The ducklings quickly took to Della, following their new foster mom and mimicking their nursing cat siblings. As they grew older, however, the adorable birds began behaving more like ducks and less like kittens. Because of this, they were constantly walking away from their box as their cat mom attempted to keep them in line. Even though the three ducklings had grown a lot faster than their feline counterparts, they still stayed loyal to Della and continued to follow her around the farm.
via [Reddit]
