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A black curly-coated Devon Rex cat lowers its nose to touch the bills of five yellow ducklings on a sunny porch mat. 18 / 32

Five Tiny Bills Stretched Up and One Dark Nose Came Down on the Porch Mat

AI imagedevon rexducklingsfirst meeting

Five tiny bills stretch upward, one dark nose comes down, and the meeting of the century takes place on a sunny porch mat. A black Devon Rex with a rippled, wavy coat and huge rounded ears lowers his face to greet the ducklings, his green-gold eyes soft and curious. The bravest duckling has its bill pressed right against his nose, while the others crowd in close, peeping and craning their necks for a turn. Behind them, a wicker planter with a leafy green plant and a crumpled denim jacket sit in a pool of bright sunlight.

Ducklings are famous for a behavior called imprinting. Shortly after hatching, they tend to bond with and follow the first moving, caring figure they encounter, which in nature is usually their mother. The scientist Konrad Lorenz famously showed that young geese would follow him around after imprinting on him. This is why hand-raised ducklings often trail after their people, and why they may also take a strong interest in other animals in the home. It is part of what makes them so endearing, and part of why they need gentle, consistent care, plus the company of other ducks as they grow.

Whatever these five have decided about their dark, curly-coated neighbor, they clearly are not afraid of him. The cat seems just as intrigued, as though trying to figure out what exactly these noisy little yellow puffs are. It is a fine start to an unlikely friendship.

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