Friendship between lynx and cat shows that animals have no prejudice

Linda is a female lynx who was born in a zoo in Saint Petersburg, Russia, in June 2007. After a while, a neighbor appeared in her cage: the kitten Dusya. And today, after 12 years, the two continue to live in harmony, showing everyone that friendship has no borders.

The employees of the St. Petersburg Zoo explained to the awesome.club why they dared to carry out this experiment and reveal how this duo lives today.

When Linda was about two months old, zoo staff chose a domestic kitten of the same age as a neighbor. At that time, the female lynx and the female cat were about the same size and practically manifested the same interests.

At first, they were left in the same space for a short period of time so that they could play together. This communication was done in the presence of zoo employees, who carefully observed the behavior of the animals.

When the experts were sure that the female lynx and the cat were familiar and got along well, they put them in the same cage.

The main objective of this experiment was to show zoo visitors the difference between the behavior of a female lynx and a domestic cat. In addition, such a union helped to improve the living conditions of a female lynx, giving her more opportunities to play and communicate with other animals.

Linda and Dusya communicate and behave like ordinary cats: they caress each other, rub each other and lick each other. At first it seems a little strange, as the female lynx has turned into a large carnivorous animal and Dusya remains small for being an ordinary cat.

The two felines form a very active pair and enjoy playing with the toys provided by the zoo staff. However, time has revealed that for this famous duo there was nothing better than an empty box. For example, Linda prefers to sleep in a box, like an ordinary house cat.

Friends follow the same routine, sleep together, eat together, but their diet, of course, is different. Linda prefers beef, rabbit and chicken, while Dusya prefers ground fish.

Dusya was given a special house-like construction with a narrow entrance. Inside her, the zoo staff put her plate with the food, so that her good friend does not feel tempted to steal a portion of it.

According to the observations of zoo employees, despite the obvious difference in size, the female cat is the leader of the pair.

Although Dusya is officially a house cat, she is very shy. Zookeepers say it’s possible to pet her, but she doesn’t like to be touched very much.

Tell our team: do you have a cat or a pet in your home? How long have you lived with him?