INSTAGRAM/@CHAMPY_AND_MORRIS, FACEBOOK/@CHAMPYANDMORRIS
The pair, who live in Australia, spend all day together. Morris’ favourite spot is perched on
hispal’sbroadbackwhileoutinthepaddock.whenI’mwellenough,”sheexplains.
ButMorrisandChampy,shesays,help
tokeephergoing.
“Theycamealongata timewhenI was
reallystruggling,emotionallyandphysi-
cally.They’vebroughtmuch-needed
lightandlaughterintomylife.”
Theyalsogivehera reasontogetout
ofbedeverymorning– again,quiteliter-
al ly.
Jenniferis wokenatthecrackofdawn
everyday– notbya roosterbutbyMor-
rischampingatthebittogetoutofthe
houseandheadofftohisbestie.
“HedemandstoseeChampy.I grum-
bleaboutgettingupsoearlybutthen
I seethemtogetherandit’sworthit.”
MorrisdashesacrosstoChampy’sen-
closureandleapsontoa fencepost,
whichJenniferhasnicknamed“thebus
stop”.Thehorseamblesover,standsat
thepostandwaitsuntilhisfelinefriendhassettledontohisback.
“SometimesChampycangeta bit
impatientandwillnudgeMorristo
hurryupandgeton.I’veseenhimputhis
nosebehindMorrisandreallypushhim
ontohisback.”
Morrisisunusualinanotherwaytoo:hehasnoqualmsaboutwearingclothes
andlovesthestylishcreampoloneckjer-
seythatkeepshimwarmonfrostyfarm
mornings.
“ManypeopleareamazedatMorris
wearingoutfitsbutI alwaysthoughtit
wasnormal,”Jennifersayswitha laugh.CROSS-SPECIES FRIENDSHIPS
Animal experts say cross-species relationships
are mostly formed when animals are young and
usually occur among domestic creatures or
those kept in captivity.
There has been evidence of it happening in
the wild, but it’s extremely rare.
“The choices animals make in cross-species
relationships are the same as they’d make in
same-species relationships,” says Marc Bekoff,
author and professor of ecology and evolution-
ary biology at the University of Colorado in the
US and co-founder (with Jane Goodall) of Ethol-
ogists for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.
“Dogs don’t like every other dog, for instance.
Animals are selective about the other beings
they let into their lives.”
Young animals often bond with one of the
first animals they see and form a friendship for
life.“When I was a kid I used to dress up
the family cat in my brother’s old baby
clothes, including bonnets, and push her
around in the pram for hours.
“This was my version of playing with
dollsandthecatwasquitehappywith
thearrangement.”
Theotherhorsesonthefarmaren’tas
takenwithMorris,sheadmits,andthe
cathashadtolearntostayclearandlav-
ishherattentiononChampyonly.
“Butit tookhima longtimebeforehe
gaveuponthem!”
Postingupdatesaboutthesetwopets
is wonderful,Jenniferadds.
“Igetlotsofmessagesfrompeople
sayinghowhappythesetwomakethem.
I lovesharingtheirjoyandI lovethat
theytouchotherpeople.They’revery
specialcreatures.”S
SOURCES:INSTAGRAM,FACEBOOK‘Champy wouldn’t leave
Morrisalone.Eventually
hegaveinandthey
became inseparable’
you.co.za 22 AUGUST 2019 | (^85)