The Ape Who Loved a Cat

Tonda, an elderly and ailing orangutan at a Florida zoo, has been given a new lease on life with the help of a tabby cat named T.K.  The 49-year-old simian had fallen into a deep depression after her mate Yakut died, and animal handlers at ZooWorld in Panama City were unsure how to mend her broken heart.  Tonda was considered too old for another orangutan mate, and outside distractions such as ducks, swans, and geese didn't interest her.  Tonda stopped eating.  She became listless and idle.  Officials knew that if something wasn't done, she would soon die.

Lee Gordon at Pet Pulse writes:  ZooWorld then decided to draw from the example of Koko, the sign language-speaking gorilla who has nurtured several pet cats over the years.  Zookeepers felt Tonda could benefit from a similar companionship, and wound up securing the kitten they deemed ideal for the role.  The match was a success.  "Tonda very quickly got attached to the cat and got real mad at us when we would take him away," Willard said. "The cat has added so much to her life."  The odd couple's friendship also seems to benefit Tonda's respiratory issues, which handlers say are ameliorated by the presence of the 3-year-old tabby cat, T.K.

It's believed that this is the only orangutan-cat companionship in the world:

Comments

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The word cat derives from Old English catt, which belongs to a group of related words in European languages, including Welsh cath, Spanish gato, Basque katu, Byzantine Greek Κάτια kátia, Old Irish cat, Frisian and Dutch kat, German Katze, and Old Church Slavonic kotka.

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Glad to see love in animal world.

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