I have two dogs. They make me feel better. That's my wholesome take.
Dam It
Working On My Way GIF by San Diego ZooGiphy"When they hear running water, beavers will automatically start to build a dam. We know this because people put a speaker playing sounds of running water next to beavers, and the first thing they did was start building a dam on the speaker."
OkLack6837
"burial"
"There are reports of elephants finding humans sleeping under trees and the elephants think they're dead. People have woken up with elephants gently stroking them with their trunk and in some cases they try to cover them with branches and sticks as a 'burial.' Elephants are one of the few animals who mourn their dead and have rituals."
Zonerdrone
Poe's Pet
"I saw a video not too long ago of some research ravens given small toys to play with. When the researchers came to collect the toys the ravens hid the toys and tried to trick the researchers into looking in fake hiding spots so they wouldn't find and take the toys away."
HumpieDouglas
"Ravens are crazy smart. They can use tools to solve problems, remember human faces especially ones they have a grudge or connection with, and will sometimes bring trinkets for people who give them food and such."
SquanchMcSquanchFace
Complexity
"Orcas have incredibly complex social structures. They have different languages and regional dialects. They have names. They sing and dance. Pods that are close and speak the same language will mourn deaths and celebrate births together, even from other pods, other families."
"Their young are largely taught by the matriarch(s) of the pod, and they're able to teach verbally, rather than by showing. This means they have culture. Traditions, not just instinct or patterns. One of the only animals in the world that has that."
Anrikay
Group Effort
guinea pig eating GIFGiphy"In Switzerland it is illegal to own only one Guinea Pig as they get lonely."
ExponentSoda811
Two of every pet is always best.
Colors
Video Platypus GIFGiphy"Despite all the weirdness that is the Platypus, they are still discovering weird things about it. Within the past two years it was discovered that platypus fur glows blue-green when exposed to ultraviolet light."
the_spurring_platty
Packs
"Wild wolf packs and murders of crows form bonds over time. The crows help lead the wolves to live prey and in return and crows get the scraps after the wolf pack has eaten their fill. Crows have been seen playing with wolf pups and bringing them sticks and feathers as gifts."
"These same crows and wolf pups reunite as adults and do the deal time and time again. Sometimes the birds and carnivores just hang out together, supposedly just to enjoy each other's time. Like Hood Nature (Casual Geographic) once said, 'There's a Disney movie in here, I just know it.'"
StorytellerEclipse
Sharing is Caring
"Vampire bats will share food with other vampire bats who haven't fed in the last day or two (their metabolism means they die if they don't eat roughly every three days). This helps support members of the colony, even though it puts the sharer at risk. It is considered one of the few forms of altruism observed in non-human animals."
Chiropteran_Coffee57
"My father in law worked for a commercial plumbing company. They got a job putting in all the water related stuff for the primate enclosures at the local zoo. While working near orangutans, they had to not leave their tools unattended, and take inventory when they left. The orangutans would try to use the tools to take their enclosure apart."
"Bonus Wholesome: Years later, my son got a book on animals at the book fair. Reading it together, when we got to the part about orangutans it said, 'orangutans are so smart, plumbers working on their enclosures at the (Hometown) Zoo had to be careful not to get their tools taken when working on their enclosure.'"
"I said, 'Holy crap, they are talking about your grandpa!!'"
middleagethreat
Slumber
Wildlife Zebra GIF by BBC AmericaGiphy"Zebras can’t sleep alone which leads to my theory Marty spent like 80% of the Madagascar movies as a raging insomniac hence explaining his erratic personality at times."
winoozie
I love animals. They're so much better than us humans.
Redditor lostinlovely asked:
"What should someone know before getting a cat?"
Wild Child
"Most kittens are wild! No matter what."
"If you want a docile cat, adopt an older one."
"They calm down but you can't expect a baby to be that way."
- Head_Dull
Giphy
Sleep Deprivation
"Be ready to wake up frantic, thinking someone broke in to find out it’s only your cat having a spaz attack."
"Also, get ready to have its butthole in your face. My cat likes to try and sit on our chest with his rear end in our face."
- JUG9209
Giphy"Bed? Theirs."
"Your keyboard? Theirs."
"Any empty cardboard boxes? Theirs."
"Shelves? Theirs."
"Your will? Theirs."
- yParticle
GiphyPlay
"One mistake I see inexperienced new cat owners make is they try to 'play' with the cat like with a dog. Tease it, get in their faces with toys, overstimulate it."
"Cats are wonderful companions. You just have to let them choose when and how they will interact with you."
"Be a little gentle with them. Talk sweet. Get to know them and what they like."
- cicalino
GiphyPetty
"Cats like their litter box to be cleaned out often otherwise they'll be petty and pee on any clothes you have laying around, shoes, blankets, etc..."
"Keep their litter box clean or you'll pay!!"
"It'll keep your house from smelling like a litter box in the long run anyway."
- AnnieBanannie1004
GiphyA for Effort
"They respond to effort. They won’t love you unconditionally like a dog will."
"A cat that is given time, patience, good care, and socializing will almost always warm up to their people and become affectionate.
"It just requires more work to earn that affection than a dog. You get out of a pet cat what you put into it."
- HicSuntStulti
GiphyPlay Time
"They need way more activity then a lot of people think."
"Sure they mostly lay around, but they need activity and play everyday to be happy!"
- Fritzkreig
Giphy
Being owned by a cat can be the best decision you've ever made, as long as you go in prepared.
Cats are not fluffy dogs.
But if that aloof, smart, independent energy suits you, adopt yourself out to a cat.