Amazing Animals

Do you have a tale to tell about a smart animal, a perceptive pet, a wily wild creature? Send us your stories and we may publish them online. Below are some examples from Reader’s Digest editions around the world. Check back regularly for more amazing tails.

A Shaggy Fish Tale

Leah, my Cavalier King Charles spaniel, liked to sit on my bed to watch my fish swimming around his tank on my dresser.

One morning, she ran out of the bedroom to where I was sitting, nuzzling me to gain my attention. As I bent down to pat her, she ran back towards my bedroom, stopping when I did not follow. She raced back to me and gave me another nudge, so I decided to follow her.

In my bedroom, she dropped in front of my dresser and stared at the floor. I got down on my hands and knees and there—covered in fluff and dog hair—was my little fish, still alive but almost unrecognizable. I scooped him up and popped him straight back in his tank. He swam off in a flurry, discarding his hairy disguise. Looking relieved, Leah resumed her seat in front of his tank.

Submitted by Julie Raverty

Disarming Behaviour

I never thought birds could be so clever and affectionate until we bought Pina, a cinnamon-coloured cockatiel. His antics surprised us all—especially the day he decided to play security guard.

Every night before we went to sleep, I would turn on the alarm and it would beep twice. In the morning, when it was turned off, the alarm beeped three times. Pina soon caught on to this pattern and would “beep” twice when he was put to bed. At 6 a.m. the characteristic three beeps could be heard coming from his cage, letting us know that he’d woken up and was “turning off” the alarm.

One day I was at home alone when two of my brother’s friends came looking for him. Pina had been in the front bedroom and had seen these “strangers” walk past. Before I could answer the door, I heard two beeps coming from the bedroom. Pina was letting me know the alarm had been “turned on” and to be on alert! After my brother’s friends had left, I walked into the front bedroom to check on Pina—just in time to hear his three beeps giving me the all clear. Submitted by Adareeka Jayasinghe

The Food Chain

My son Brad was doing some carpentry work as part of a house renovation. The owners had told him that squirrels kept getting into their bird feeder, despite the fact that they had done everything possible to prevent them from doing so.

They had never actually seen any squirrels at the feeder and so had no idea how they got to it.

While the owners were away at work, Brad was sitting at their breakfast nook eating his lunch when he saw four squirrels climb onto a branch hanging above the bird feeder. Their weight caused the branch to sag enough for the first squirrel to jump onto the feeder. After eating, the squirrel jumped down, then climbed back up the tree and onto the branch to be fourth in line so that the next squirrel could jump onto the feeder. This continued until all four squirrels had had a meal.

Submitted by Chuck Walker

Magnetic Attraction

My grandparents adopted a black cat called Skitz who is forever losing her magnetized collar.

When Skitz doesn't have a magnet to open the cat door at feeding time, she'll pat on the back door with her paw until Granddad comes running to open it and let her in.

One day my grandparents were visiting their neighbours. Sitting in the neighbours' lounge having a good old chat, they suddenly heard something patting on the window.

They all looked up to see Skitz peering in the neighbours' window, as if to say, "You can't hide. Now where's my dinner?"

Submitted by Sarah Bull

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