Humans aren't the only volunteers at Brooklyn Cat Cafe...
Emile and Remy are two rats employed by the cat cafe to help with the care of the resident kittens. Yes, you read that right. These rats take care of little cats.
Cats and rats may not seem like a logical pairing, but Emile and Remy's loving paternal side comes out whenever they're with the kittens.
Don't believe us? Just look at this heartwarming video of Emile bathing and comforting some tiny, newborn kittens.
Emile and Remy were placed with any orphaned kittens that are too young for vaccinations, therefore needing to be separated from other cats, but still need comfort and love.
When they're not comforting the young kittens, Emile and Remy help these new babies get their daily exercise by allowing them to chase their tails. They even help the kittens try new foods by sharing their favorite snacks with them.
Both of the domestic rats are completely comfortable with the little ones, so they don't run away and the felines don't hunt them.
Emile and Remy aren't the cafe's first staff rats, however. A previous rat named Ivory was brought in to care for a four-week old kitten named Ebony, who had feline leukemia. Due to the contagiousness of this illness, Ebony couldn't be around other cats so Ivory was brought in to keep her company. Unfortunately, both Ebony and Ivory passed away.
READ MORE: How to Spot Feline Leukemia
While the relationship between the pet rats and cats at the Brooklyn Cat Cafe, run by the Brooklyn Bridge Animal Welfare Coalition (BBAWC), is like something out a movie, they urge the public to practice caution before introducing cats and rats in their own homes. Emile and Remy have been with the kittens since a very young age and they are always supervised when together to avoid the risk of injury.
If you want to stay up-to-date with Emile, Remy, and their kittens, you can follow them on the Brooklyn Cat Cafe's Instagram. All of the cats in their pictures and videos will be up for adoption soon, so if you're interested in giving one a new home, contact the cafe.
What do you think of this interspecies relationship? Let us know in the comments!
All images courtesy of the Brooklyn Cat Cafe.
This article was originally published July 18, 2017.
