Cat thinks every dog's her baby
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00:00 I'm just really surprised. This isn't the experience I thought having a cat would be.
00:04 My name is Kate and this is Mau Mau's story for GeoBeats.
00:08 What are you doing up there?
00:10 I got Mau Mau in 2004 when I was a teenager.
00:13 Hi!
00:14 I think they were trying to get you to buy some things from them and the kittens were just there for free.
00:19 She's still with me 19 years later so it was very lucky for me to pick this kitten.
00:23 I have a lot of friends who might have been nervous around cats or said cats weren't their favorite
00:28 and they all love her because I think she's very dog-like.
00:31 Sit.
00:32 I mean I've never seen a cat that sits when you tell them to sit.
00:36 She is not the biggest fan of other cats but she loves dogs.
00:40 She considers herself to be more of a dog than a cat because we foster puppies.
00:47 Puppies can be very exuberant and they want to play.
00:50 She is completely fine with that.
00:52 She has a lot of mothering tendencies.
00:58 [Music]
01:01 She definitely tries to get the dogs to do what she wants them to do at any given time.
01:06 She was part of the reason I kept my dog Ghost.
01:09 He was a very nervous foster puppy.
01:11 He was frightened of me.
01:13 So she picked this one out as a puppy that needed some extra attention
01:18 and he bonded with her before he bonded with me.
01:21 She's never had kittens and I used to foster kittens a little bit a few years ago.
01:26 She would tolerate the kittens if I kept them in a separate room
01:29 and she did not have to interact or see them.
01:31 Hi.
01:32 And then she decided no more of that.
01:34 She was over kitten fostering.
01:36 But she is a dog whisperer.
01:39 She snuggles with them which at first makes a lot of them very nervous.
01:43 Puppies are like, "I'm not even sure what you are."
01:45 But she wins them over very quickly because she is sweet
01:48 and she's just trying to interact nicely with them and pay them some attention.
01:51 Happy family.
01:52 She's so calm and confident.
01:53 She helps them learn to be that way as well.
01:55 Look, Mal.
01:56 Good job.
01:58 If she decides it's time for a nap and the dogs are not ready for a nap,
02:02 be it a ghost or a foster puppy,
02:04 she will try to get them to go lay down in the dog bed.
02:07 She feels she has a responsibility to be a role model to the other animals we have in the house.
02:12 She's a cat that really likes physical affection.
02:16 She gives it back too.
02:17 She follows you around.
02:18 She waits for you to have time.
02:22 So if you're working and you're cooking or you're busy,
02:25 she sits right there and waits.
02:26 She can tell how you're feeling.
02:28 If you've had a bad day,
02:29 she tries to make you feel better by bringing you a toy or being extra playful.
02:33 Yeah, I like it.
02:34 For her age, her health is great.
02:36 Hi.
02:38 She was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease a few years ago.
02:41 I was so upset when I had heard that.
02:43 It sounded really scary.
02:45 But our vet has been really good.
02:46 She's on a couple medications and she seems to be doing fine.
02:49 You got puppies?
02:50 I'm so used to life with Malmo.
02:53 I almost don't remember what it's like to not have Malmo here every day
02:58 because it's been 19 years.
03:00 I do worry about it, but I'm very thankful to have had her.
03:04 She's been an incredible cat,
03:05 and I don't think there's too many cats out there like her.
03:08 Come here.
03:13 Come here.
03:14 [music]