Mini pony ‘adopts’ cat alongside her new foal and the trio’s antics are caught on camera

Cat sitting on horse’s back
Library image (Image credit: Getty Images)

Is there anything better than watching animals from different species become the best of friends? The human-canine and human-feline bonds can be extremely strong, of course, but what about that between cat and horse?

Cupcake, a mini pony, has ‘adopted’ a barn cat, Rocky, and their bond has gone viral. While Rocky might happily go to his humans for the best cat treats, he’ll go to Cupcake for plenty of attention too.

The miniature pony has her own foal, Strawberry Shortcake, too, but she’s more than happy for Rocky to join them. Cupcake’s mom posted a video of the trio on TikTok, writing, “Cupcake has two kids now, she adopted a cat” and adding in the caption, “Happy family, seriously have you ever seen this before mare and foal accepting a cat into their family.”

Of course, Cupcake’s followers loved the interspecies friendship, one writing, “Cats do communal kitten raising so [he’s] there to help.” Another pointed out that cat and foal are almost the same size, while one more said, “I noticed the cat photobombing in earlier videos…precious.”

In another video, Rocky and Strawberry are lying next to each other in the barn with the caption reading, “Ever seen a cat and a pony snoozing together, then Rocky wanted to wake her up to play.”

In the comments on another video of Strawberry, Cupcake’s mom revealed that her arrival was a surprise. “I couldn’t believe it,” she wrote. “It was so unexpected, I was completely shocked. I’m so glad it happened and all went well.”

She shared another video in which she approaches Cupcake before turning to show Strawberry in the corner, with the caption, “When you were filming a TikTok but walk in and there’s a surprise foal.”

And while Strawberry is gradually growing up, she won’t be a whole load bigger than Rocky even as an adult. Miniature ponies don’t exceed 34 inches (8.2hh) at shoulder height, so while she’ll be bigger than a cat, they’ll still be able to play together in their happy family unit. You can keep up with their adventures at @cupcake.the.mini.pony on Instagram.

Read next: 32 things to consider before getting a horse or American horse breeds

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Adam England
Freelance Writer

Adam is a freelance journalist specialising in pets, music and culture, and mental health and wellbeing. He investigates and writes the large majority of news on PetsRadar, and collaborates with veterinary experts to produce informative pet care content.

Adam has a journalism degree from Southampton Solent University and a masters degree in Magazine Journalism from Cardiff University. He was previously senior editor at dog advice website DogTime.com, and has also written for The Independent, GoodToKnow and Healthline.

He owns two rescue cats, Bunny and Dougie, and has also previously had a rabbit, fish and Roborovski dwarf hamsters.