The ducklings were clearly imprinted by the cat/kittens. When birds hatch, they “imprint” on the first thing they see, such as kittens latching/feeding, assuming the cat was the mother and they were the kittens, and therefore copying the activity.
Because the cat was full of “mummy autopilot” hormones, she welcomed the extra kittens in her litter as her own, resulting in this amazing yet strange one-in-a-million chance attachment.
Cats and farm animals have an interesting interaction. Every year in the winter, my parents would buy 200 one-day-old chicks. A slow combustion heater kept the chicken coop warm.
One or more cats were always present, soaking up the warmth and helping themselves to the chick food. Keeping the mice under control is also important. I believe the cats did not consume the chicks because they had a species memory that this was incorrect.
I wasn’t prepared to see Death, I was only prepared for cute cat and ducklings. I’m crying because of the lioness and the calf. Both such cute stories and so interesting. I hope the lioness found another tribe, what a lovely animal
