Anyone who has ever spent a lot of time around animals doesn't doubt their intelligence or their capacity to surprise. Sometimes these unexpected actions can be dangerous or harmful but they can also be adorably kind, showing a depth of compassion that is hardly expected from a "lower" form of life.
Nearly every person who has owned a pet for a significant amount of time has a story or two of a time when their furry companion did something thoughtful for them without being asked. The animals in these stories did something so kind that internet users almost couldn't believe it and had to write them down to share with the world.
60. Get Better For That Good Boy
59. Ice Dog
My childhood dog saved my dad's life.
She was a big malamute/wolf mix, gorgeous and super smart. She was my parents' "practice child", and basically my sister before my other siblings were born.
We lived way out in the woods, and our house was wood heated, so a big part of my dad's work around the house was gathering, splitting, and hauling firewood. I wasn't there for this story, but he's told the whole family about it.
One day he was out getting firewood by the river. It was winter, everything was frozen over, and he was trying to get a madrone that had fallen on to the frozen river. Normally he's really careful about stuff like this, but everyone makes mistakes I guess. Anyway, the log slipped, the ice broke, and he went straight in, heavy boots and winter coat and all.
He said it was hard to tell where the edge was, the ice kept cracking, and he was sinking fast. Next thing he knew, he felt a yank on the back of his coat, and his head popped above the surface. That dog had run out on the cracking ice and grabbed him by the collar. She dragged him to safety.
He managed to drive home, dripping and shivering, and that dog was eating steak for a week. Least we could do for saving my dad.
58. Furry Lifeguard
57. Bringing In The Harvest
56. The Rat Pack
55. Doggy Dreams
I can tell when my dog is dreaming when he starts to exhale heavily and when he lets out this "whoop" sound. I'll usually let him be, but on the off chance that I think that it's getting a little too intense and if the sound turns into a whimper, I'll wake him up.
One night I was nearing the end of a dream at the point where you're kind of halfway between asleep and awake. I can't remember the details of the dream, all I know is that it was either a nightmare or just very stressful. As I was waking up I realized I was feeling something making repeated contact with my chest, and I opened my eyes to see my dog sitting over me batting his paw at me.
Once I made eye contact with him he stopped, sat for a second, and then went back to his bed on the floor. I figure I must have been breathing irregularly or something, and he just thought that he needed to return the favor and get me out of my dream.
54. Don't Go Alone
53. My Cat Is My Pregnancy Test
52. Cats And Cars
51. Not Without My Human
50. Straight From The Horse's Mouth
49. You've Got An Echo
48. How A Cat Apologizes
47. The Puppy Commute
46. Can Tell Who Needs Some Love
45. Anonymous Protector
I worked at a convenience store about two miles from my home and had to be there every morning before 4 am to open up. My husband was in a minor car accident, and our vehicle had to go into the shop for nearly a week. We don't have public transportation in my small town, and no one was able to give me a ride at such an early hour, so I had to walk to work.
I headed out before 3 am. It was very dark, of course, and felt very eerie. I had to pass by several abandoned and cross the isolated parking lot of a factory before following the highway along a wooded area. Needless to say, I wasn't feeling very safe or sure of myself and my decision!
Suddenly, a very large (maybe 70 lb) dog came trotting up beside me, seemingly out of nowhere. At first, I was startled and wary of him, but he basically paid me no mind, just jogging along slightly ahead of me as I walked. He was a very intimidating-looking dog, and I immediately felt safer just having him by my side. He walked me all the way to the store I worked at, and even laid down outside the doors for a half hour or so, then went on his way.
Every morning for the next three or four days he met me at the same spot and escorted me safely to work. Thank you, anonymous angel dog!
44. 24/7 Cuddle Therapy
After each round of chemotherapy I went through, my two cats took turns staying with me 24/7 for several days afterward. When one would get down from my lap or my side, the other would snuggle in their place. My husband said they did this even while I was sleeping. The level of devotion that they displayed was absolutely heartwarming.
43. Part Of His Pack
In 2013, my husband adopted an Australian cattle dog from the pound and named him Niko. Niko took an intense and immediate liking to my husband. I was a different story (he would literally walk away from me while I was petting him). While he tolerated me, it was obvious that I was simply not his cup of tea.
In 2016, I had to have my gallbladder removed. The surgery went well and, after I was settled back home in bed, my husband brought the dogs in to see me. He insisted on letting them smell the wound, saying they would understand I was injured and be gentle with me. Niko was so interested in the surgical site that my husband had to physically get him off the bed and forbid him from getting back up there with me.
Sometime that night, my pain killers wore off and I woke up needing to pee. Cue 15 minutes of rocking like a turtle on its back before I managed to get myself up. I sat for a moment catching my breath and realized that Niko was sitting nearby, watching me. I hobbled to the adjoined bathroom and sat down on the toilet. And again I had to catch my breath.
That's when I heard Niko padding softly and slowly into the bathroom. And felt his cold nose against my knee. Then he ducked under my knee and positioned himself between my feet, looking around the bathroom. I realized that he was guarding me. He didn't particularly like me, but apparently I was part of the pack and no one else was awake. I was injured and he was going to make sure I was protected while I peed.
That was the turning point in my relationship with Niko and we are now best buds. He is actually one of the sweetest, most loving dogs that I've ever had.
42. Let The Little Guy Win
I have two big pit bulls who love to play tug of war. They get very competitive and it’s their favorite game. Their grips are super tight and if you pull up hard enough they’ll dangle on the rope like a tree ornament.
Anyways, one time my little brother picked up the rope to play with the bigger male dog, Zeppelin. I was scared Zeppelin wouldn’t understand and yank the rope and hurt my little brother. He’s a very good boy, but he’s stupid. So I started to jog over to them to break it up. To my pleasant surprise, Zeppelin let my little brother win, right away! And they kept playing for a while, with Zeppelin going noticeably easier on my brother, and my brother having the time of his life. Zep would shake his head and tug very softly, and then when my brother yanked the rope he would let it go. It was the cutest and most adorable thing I’ve ever seen.
41. Scared But Smart
I was trying to mount my horse from a milk crate, and the crate broke when I pushed off. It made a horrible splintering noise as my left foot went through the stirrup and my right went through the crate. The noise and sudden weight drop scared my horse, and he should have spooked -- most horses would have. If he had, I’d have been dragged on concrete and possibly killed. At the last second, he turned his head. We made eye contact, and he just froze. He was shaking like a leaf, but I was able to pull myself up and get my foot free. He absolutely saved my life.
40. Here For You
I have a German Shepherd named Homie. She's been gone for 12 years now, but I'm forever grateful for her. She wasn't the typical lovey dovey dog, but she was an amazing creature and had such undying loyalty to my family and I.
I had a very, very low point when I was younger and decided that I was going to take my own life. I was home alone, had everything ready and I went down to my kitchen to sit on the floor and while away my final moments. Homie, who was absolutely not a fan of hugs or cuddling and would often growl if you got too friendly, walked over to me and sat down right in front of me closer than she normally ever would.
Knowing I'd miss her the most, I leaned in and gave her the biggest hug and she just patiently sat there as I held her tight for several minutes and sobbed into her fur. She was getting old and had been with me for nearly my entire life. I often called her my 'dog sister.' I realized I simply couldn't do that to her, just disappear when she only had a small amount of time left herself. Her love and existence made me reconsider.
39. The Good Goat
Once, my little brother and I were in a summer camp for about a week. We did a bunch of activities, most of them around the topic of nature and animals.
One day, at the bunny pen, they handed out a baby bunny to each and every one of us. We were extremely happy, as we loved those cute little things and just wanted to hold and hug them. The camp leaders did warn us to not get close to the pigs with the baby bunnies, as the pigs would eat them. So we all split up, each with a baby bunny. Me, my little brother and some other random kid decided to sit on the floor inside the stable. We had fun, cuddling them. But then to our horror, a pig walked into the stable. We started to get afraid, fearing the pig would attack us and eat the baby bunnies. It started to walk closer.
But it didn't reach us, as from nowhere a goat came out from one of the stables and chased the pig away. We were really happy and thanked the goat.
38. Meringue, Rabbit Of Kindly Doom
My story involves the world's worst/best rabbit. I have lupus, and a few other assorted chronic illnesses, which means my life is a revolving door of crazy symptoms and issues.
A few years ago, I started having seizures. This is where the rabbit comes in. Meringue is a 3-year-old lion head rabbit. At five pounds, with a wispy head of hair reminiscent of the Whoopi Goldberg hyena from The Lion King, she's less than threatening. She fooled me into thinking she was a sweet, delicate rabbit.
Truth is, she's a MENACE. She once stole the glasses off my face and threw them at me. A friend came by later that day, and she threw his too. I watched her steal an entire corn dog from the table, right in front of my sister's flabbergasted face. Rabbits don't eat corn dogs. Or any kind of dogs. They're vegetarians. What I'm saying is that Meringue is trouble.
Back to the seizure. If you've never had a seizure, the one thing I can tell you is that you're left feeling foggier than a coastal Newfoundland ferry town on a misty April morning. I've never felt so tired. I ended up sleeping for 32 hours. My mum says she managed to get me to drink, but beyond that, I was out.
Meringue never left my side. My evil, depraved rabbit slept on my bed. She was pacing back and forth, sniffing at my face and digging at my arms, making sure her favorite (most tolerated) human was still alive. Mum said there were moments where she had trouble getting near me; she knew from experience that my fuzzy bunny princess was something to fear, and she took her human guarding very seriously.
I'm doing better these days. A lot more stable, no more seizures. Meringue is still a huge pain in the butt. I could write a book on her escapades, but I'm grateful for her company.
37. Taking Care Of Mama
I celebrated my 22nd birthday and came home throwing up for a while the next morning. It was the worst hangover, but my little cat was so worried about his mama. While I was bent over the toilet, he stood up on his hind legs and kept his front paws on my back the entire time I was there. About the third time I reached for some toilet paper, he figured that out and started trying to unravel the roll for me.
36. A Lifetime's Worth Of Stillness
My dog is an extremely energetic Staffy. Nothing, and I mean nothing, can keep her still. Well, years ago, I had major dental work. I had to have pills that knocked me out because I was so terrified. When I got home, I was so insanely drowsy, nauseous and uneasy that I needed to sleep. I got my girl to lay her head on top of mine to keep my head from spinning. Three hours later when I woke up, she had not moved. Not an inch. And she’s never been still again since.
35. Blankets Make Humans Feel Better, Right?
We had a yellow lab when I was growing up. She wasn't too bright and always seemed a bit nervous. Not very cuddly. But one time, I was sitting on the floor crying about something, and she went and got her blanket and laid it across my lap. She was comforting me the only way she knew. It was so out of left field and so thoughtful. I hugged her and she just sat with me while I cried it out.
34. Sorry For Your Loss
We were burying our dog who sadly got sick and had to be put to sleep. We were all in the garden, crying a lot and the next door neighbor’s dog started to whine, and wouldn’t stop until I sat up against the fence (chain link fence). She sat there with me all afternoon while I cried.
33. True Understanding
My mom left a box of Krispy Kreme glazed donuts on the kitchen counter and at night my cat jumped up, sliced the plastic film, and brought one all the way to my room. He gets me.
32. Horsey Poppins
I was a horse-crazy girl, and my very kind grandfather bought me a horse for my fifth birthday. She was an older, flea-bitten gray (it’s a color, not a bug infestation) with the patience of a saint. I named her Snow White. I could get her bridle and a bareback pad on her, but I was too little to be able to mount her correctly so she would drop just her head down and let me climb up her neck. She would watch me and wait until I would turn around and get my feet into the stirrups before moving.
We lived in Arizona and would go for long rides alone in the desert and fields. Honestly, I should probably have died a number of times over, but she was like an equine Mary Poppins. Every time I fell off (invariably out of my own stupidity) she would stop and give me this “AGAIN?!?!” look while I would dust off and climb back up. More than once, when someone would approach us that might have had questionable intentions, she would just take off with me and head home. I would get quite cross that she would call our day short, but she was stubborn when she wanted to be.
31. Good Dog, Bad Appendix
My partner and I sleep in different rooms. When I was so sick I couldn't move or yell, retching and feverish and approaching the point of no return with appendicitis, my pup woke up my hard-sleeping man. It took her a few tries. He got the ambulance activated for the hour-long ride to the hospital where my silly appendix burst as the doctor was pulling it out. Good dog. Very, very good dog. Bad appendix. Very, very bad appendix.
30. A For Effort!
My dog, who hates water, was hiking with me near a river. She wandered ahead to investigate some smells and I hopped from stone to stone across the river. When she came back and saw me on the other side of the river she became very concerned and ran as fast as she could and tried her best to leap the river to save me. She cleared about 10% of the river, but it was the thought that counted.
29. This Is What You Need
One time when I came down with a cold, I used to wake up in the night having coughing fits. Sometimes I would cough so hard I'd throw up. So I had a bucket and a water bottle on my bed with me. On one such night, my rabbit woke with me. She snuggled up to me and lay there while I was coughing and I reached for the water bottle to calm my throat down. Half an hour later, I started coughing and woke her up again. She jumped up and ran to my water bottle and started nudging it with her nose, pushing it towards me. I love this rabbit with all my heart.
28. Truce, For The Human's Sake
We had just gotten a second cat and the first cat hated the new one with a passion. About six weeks later, I found out I was pregnant and a month after that suffered a miscarriage. Prior to the miscarriage, the cats refused to be in the same room at the same time but from the second I lost the baby they were by my side, day and night, for weeks. They would leave to eat or use the litter box, always in shifts, but otherwise, they were right next to me, offering comfort.
27. Instincts Of A Savior
I am a type 1 diabetic. I was house-sitting for a friend and looking after their black lab, Zeus. One night, while I was sleeping, I was woken up by Zeus howling at me and pulling my blankets off me. He started dragging me by my PJs down the hall and into the kitchen.
I was experiencing a severe blood sugar crash and nearing a seizure -- he knew that I needed to get to the kitchen to get juice and food to get my sugars back to normal before I ended up unconscious. I was in such bad shape I could barely see. That good boy saved me. I asked his owners if he had been trained to do that, and they said no, he had never been around any diabetic people. My little hero.
26. You Must Eat
When my duck imprinted on me, she followed me around daily but never saw me eat. She decided to take matters into her own hands and when I would lay down in the grass next to her she would rip the grass out with her bill and then try to shove her bill in my mouth to give me food.
25. I'll Get The Door
In 2005, I hurt my back badly. The result was six months of barely being able to walk. Around this time, a stray kitten showed up at my house, so I took him in and named him Bubba. He tended to get stuck on the wrong side of doors and he wasn't big enough to push them open.
I had finally gotten down on the couch one night and my calico, Katie, came and settled on my lap. Then I heard Bubba yowling because he couldn't get through the door. I started crying because the thought of getting up was just too much. Katie mewed at me and I said, "Oh, Katie, I can't do it." She mewed again, got off my lap, walked over and pawed the door open. As soon as Bubba was in the room, she came back, got on my lap and purred. Dang, she was a good cat.
24. Invisible Danger!?
So this might sound kind of silly, but I have a fear of insects. One time, I was just chilling in my room, as one does, when I hear a noise. I look over and see a huge wasp flying across the room. I shriek and run and my dog followed me despite having no earthly clue what was going on. And this normally rambunctious, eternal puppy of a dog quietly checked on me and then set up shop between me and the door until I stopped freaking out.
23. Soothing And Imprinting
I had an extremely difficult pregnancy. My cat Pumpkin would come to me whenever I would cry (a lot) and splay herself across my large belly and purr as loud as she could. It was so soothing and always calmed me down. My son is obsessed with the sounds of her purring.
22. Toddler Herding
My parents have a big yard and a long driveway, as we live in a more rural area. We used to have a St. Bernard named Chevy. When I was two years old, I was outside with my dad, and when he turned his back for a few seconds, I started wandering off (as toddlers do). Apparently, my dad heard me making sounds of frustration and annoyance, turned around, and saw me trying to walk down the driveway toward the road (which I knew I was not supposed to do).
Chevy was continuously blocking my way and would not let me pass him. According to my dad, Chevy stood patiently as I tried to waddle around him, then move to block me again. He said this went on for five minutes before I gave up and went back to my dad. Good boy knew I wasn’t allowed to go to the road.
21. Attempted Healing
Ren is a Siamese cat. He's not a fan of dogs, so he basically ignores them. Or he did, until I got a Yorkie puppy named Pete. It turns out his breeder was an anti-vaxxer and even though she said he was up to date, he wasn't. Pete got parvo and the vet sent me home to give him round the clock care. Ren sat up all night with us and curled himself around Pete, purring the whole night. (If you're not aware, cat's purrs have been linked to quicker healing, and they will purr themselves or other cats better.)
Pete didn't get better, but it was still the nicest thing for Ren to sit up all night with a dog he didn't like to try to heal him.
20. You Didn't Say Goodbye!
My roommate's indoor cat realized that I always said "you be good" before leaving. One day, another roommate was petting him, so I left for Whole Foods without saying "you be good." About a block later, I heard what sounded like a crying child. I kept walking, but then suddenly realized it was a cat. I backtracked, and sure enough, there he was, frantically searching for me in a park on the way to Whole Foods and yowling in panic. As soon as he saw me, he immediately relaxed and wouldn't leave my side. Since I was afraid of him getting hurt in traffic, I put him back inside. To this day, that is still the most concern an animal has ever shown for me.
19. No, The Floors Are Clean
When I was staying in one of my family members' houses for the summer, I met a dog named Calm. Apparently, people in the neighborhood called him Calm because he really was the calmest dog in the whole world. After playing with him for a while in the garden, I had to get inside of the house. I called him many times for him to come inside as well, but he just stood outside of the doorstep, showed me his paw covered with mud and gave me a look like, "I can't step inside, I don't want to make the house dirty" with his giant brown eyes.
18. Even The Grumpy
I have a Quaker parrot, and he’s a jerk. But when I was a kid I was crying over my math homework because I really struggled with it. Well, my parrot climbed up on my chest and then snuggled up against my cheek and kissed me. Then, he went and got the pencil I threw out of frustration and set it back next to my hand as if to say, “You can do it.” He’s still a grumpy jerk, but he has his moments. As we all do.
17. Protective Persian
I used to have a Turkish Persian cat. I was hit by a drunk driver and spent four months in bed until my bones healed enough for physical therapy. She would not leave my bed even to eat. My mom brought food for her to the bed. Also, my mom carried her to her litter box twice a day so she would use it. She did and then she ran full speed back to my bed. My beautiful girl lived for 20 years. I still miss her every day.
16. Stray Escorts
Two summers ago, my friend and I were visiting Istanbul. We were staying in the old town like a block from The Hagia Sophia and we had to walk to the ferry on the Bosphorus to get to the bus we needed. No joke, we had four stray dogs escort us from the Hagia Sophia all the way down to the main road on the water which was like the best send-off after one of the best weekends of my life. We bought the strays bread from a street vendor after.
15. Repayment For Help
When I was a kid, I found one of the neighbor's outside cats with his collar stuck to one of his bottom teeth, leaving his mouth wide open. I got down and pulled the collar away from his tooth. After that, he wouldn't stop following me around. The next morning, I walked outside and he immediately ran up to our front doorstep and dropped a mouse at my feet while meowing like crazy. That was the most human thing I've ever seen a cat do.
14. Warmth On A Cold Night
When I was a bit younger, I was a HEAVY drinker. It was pretty common for me to get blackout before walking home. One time I was so hammered that I ended up not being able to unlock the door. I wasn't that messed up when I had left the other place, but the drinks caught up to me on the way home.
We had a big lab-rottweiler mix named Rita who was an utter goof, but also an amazingly motherly pup. She found me slumped against the back door, so she pushed me over and curled up around me, kind of laying on me. It was freezing that night, and without her, I might have been hurt. Instead, I woke up in the morning with a massive hangover and nothing else. I gave her a little bacon from my breakfast, and plenty of pets.
13. Comforting The Lonely
I was really upset about something and was full on sobbing by myself as my parents were both at work. My childhood cat, Chip, heard me and came over. She stared at me for a moment before she was suddenly purring as loud as I've ever heard her. She rubbed up against me, snuggled her way into my arms, and licked at my chin and face until I stopped crying. Chip wouldn't let me out of her sight for the rest of the day.
12. Keeping The Human Dry
I once had a horse that I was training spook and bolt. He slipped in a patch of mud and somersaulted, landing on top of me. I was instantly knocked out and started rolling downhill but a friend of mine who was watching later told me that this poor, young, freaked out horse put himself between me and the pond at the bottom of the hill and laid down, effectively stopping me from landing in the water and drowning. He stayed there until I got up, and remained calm while I unsaddled him and checked him over for injuries before heading to the hospital.
11. Not That Mean
Many years ago, I house- and dog-sat for a friend for about three weeks. This dog was old and cranky and spoiled, as it had been the only fur-child of a single woman for many years. It generally wanted nothing to do with me except if I was feeding or walking it. I was a little over a year out from a terrible break-up and had finally managed to get a date. Except the date stood me up and ghosted me. I was devastated and just sat in the living room crying, and this little spoiled brat dog jumped on my lap and licked my face and just cuddled with me for the rest of the evening.
10. Hugo The Splendid
Growing up, we had a bunch of chickens and one proud rooster. His name was Hugo. He had glorious colors: green, yellow, red and black. He kept the hens in check all day long and got us up at dawn. Best of all, he was super friendly and would walk around with me. He would even let me pet and hand-feed if I held something out for him. He made sure the hens never strayed far away or destroyed each other's eggs.
I spent every day after school with Hugo, and he was as tame and friendly as any cat or dog. He was my best friend. For some stupid reason though, my dad bought two other roosters. They were plain white, and crazy. They attacked the hens and fought with Hugo, who defended his home for dear life. Eventually, he got them to kind of calm down, however, it was never the same. The chickens couldn't walk around free on our farm anymore because of how insane those two roosters were, so they were in an enclosed area instead.
One day, my older sister and I were throwing a ball back and forth during a nice, sunny summer day. My sister, who is 9 years older than me, accidentally threw the ball into the chicken pen. Since it was my turn to throw, I had to go inside and get it. She was scared to death of those two crazy roosters so I eventually said okay.
I opened the gate, stepped inside, and immediately they were on me. The idiot white roosters pecked and scratched at me while flapping their wings trying to get rid of me. Then it happened. Hugo came to my rescue. He fought like a bear against these two jerks, clawing them off me and eventually standing between me and them. If they stepped one bit too close, he would be on them again, making sure I could get out with the help of my sister.
Hugo was the man.
9. Disobedience For A Good Cause
My mom got such terrible back pain and depression that she couldn’t walk. She always just tolerated my dog but he refused to leave her side while it was happening. On top of this, my dog would climb two flights of stairs and run into my dad’s bedroom, running in circles until he came to check on my mom. My dad said he always had an anxious air like, “I don’t know how to help her!!!” The thing is, my dog is insanely obedient. He knows he’s not allowed upstairs so it’s pretty huge that he would break that to go upstairs to get him. My mom has absolutely adored him since.
8. Life-Saving Annoyance
I wasn't feeling well and decided to try to sleep it off. My dear kitty would not leave me alone. He kept poking at me until I got angry and tried to get up. I realized I was really ill and called 911. It turned out I was having a massive heart attack with no pain. That cat saved my life.
7. The Friendliest Pillow
I have really unstable joints in my hips and knees, so I fall a lot. I rescued a Pyrenees mix who had been dumped at a feed store when she was three months old. She was my best buddy and was content to just chill on the couch if I was immobile that day. There were several instances where I would be making tea or something and she saw me sway like I was going to fall. She'd push her 80 lbs of fluff against the backs of my legs to keep me up until I could grab the counter or my walker.
The most memorable time was when I fell coming out of my bathroom. The room was so small that I had to leave my walker outside the door. As I was going toward it I started to go down, and she ran over and slid up under me, preventing me from cracking my head on the tile. She's my best girl and my peanut butter cracker & Netflix bro.
6. I Can Feed The Naked Kitten!
I had an old Texas stray cat that had just lost a litter around the same time my daughter was born. One night, while sitting on my bed trying to breastfeed my daughter, the cat plopped down in front of me and rolled to her side, exposing her tummy to me. She started kneading her paws in the air at me as if she was offering up her own unused milk for my baby. So yeah, my cat offered to breastfeed my infant daughter.
5. Offerings For The Expectant Mother
My current dog is a Yorkie/Bichon mix that my husband got me about a month before we found out I was pregnant. I had a pretty rough time in the third trimester and ended up on bed rest. I would fall asleep, then wake up to find that she had gathered up every single toy she owned and every dog treat she’d stashed throughout the apartment, and placed them all over and around me. This happened multiple times.
4. Tender Tyrone
When I was about six, we had a Vietnamese potbelly pig named Tyrone. He would follow my mom everywhere she went. She would often pick wildflowers in the field behind our house and he would always come with her. One day, she got into a bad argument with my dad and was sitting on the back porch crying. Tyrone pulled a bunch of flowers and grass out by the roots and brought them to her to try to make her feel better. It's always struck me as the sweetest thing I've seen an animal do.
3. Trust A Dog's Instincts
My family had a 110 lb black lab named Kona. This dog was very notably not fond of new people the first two to three times he met them. Not "I'm going to attack you" level, but "if I didn't see my people let you in I would have attacked you" level. He usually warmed up to you after a few encounters though. We also had a two-story house at the time and you couldn't drag this dog onto the top floor if your life depended on it; he refused to be anywhere but the first floor.
My sister ended up dating this dude for nearly two years. I hated him instantly -- I just suspected was no good. Kona never warmed up to this dude, which just furthered my suspicion that he was trouble.
One night I came home from my graveyard shift to find Kona's nose pressed against my sister's door. He completely refused to move. I stayed up way past when I would have normally gone to bed, waiting to hear Kona get up. Around 3 am, I heard him growl.
I jumped up and ran the short distance down the hallway and opened my sister's door to find her boyfriend attacking her, thinking there was no one still awake to save her. My screaming woke up the four other people in the house, alerting them to the fact that I had been right this whole time. If it hadn't been for Kona confirming my suspicion that this dude was bad, my sister would have been in a world of hurt.
2. Catchup's Kindness
We had a horse named Catchup for a few years when I was in high school. This horse was a jerk to me at first. He'd always turn his butt towards me, whack me with his tail, or raise his hoof at me like he was going to kick or step on me. I didn't like him, and he didn't like me. I don't really know why; he just kinda didn't care for me.
One day, my mom and I got in a fight. She was screaming at me outside. I was crying and extremely upset. I walked away from her and ran into the pastures. Catchup kept following me. Eventually, I sat down and continued to cry. He started to nudge me. I tried to brush him off because I really didn't want to be bothered by him. He persisted, and when I told him to go away he stood in front of me and started to whinny.
Catchup tossed his head, made funny faces, then rolled around on the ground. He wouldn't stop until I was laughing my butt off. Then he started grooming my hair. Horses basically eat at your hair when they groom you, it feels really weird, and it made me laugh even more.
After that, he was always nice to me.
1. Tenner For Your Trouble
I had a ferret when I was younger. I built a nice run for him in the back yard and let him out every day to have a play and give him food, etc. The backyard was really messy and with ridiculous amounts of plants everywhere, which was perfect because ferrets love exploring cramped spaces for some reason. One day, he emerged from one of his exploration missions with a £10 note in his mouth and just dropped it at my feet. Awesome.
