Eivind Ertesvag 
Life is full of little surprises, and they often appear when you least expect them.
That’s what a Russian farmer experienced when he found what he thought were four little kittens in his barn. Because it wasn’t just any cat that had stopped by. Far from. It is the Animal Channel that tells this.
The farmer lifted one of them up to take a closer look and immediately saw that it was no ordinary domestic cat.
The farmer couldn’t say for sure what kind of cat it might be, so he decided to investigate further. He contacted the Daursky Nature Reserve, who asked him to take the «kittens» with him to the nature reserve so they could have a closer look.
There it was determined that the animals were of the Pallas’ Cat (Otocolobus Manul or Felis Manul).
Pallas cat is a very rare breed of wild cat that originates in central Asia.
The Manus are almost the same size as normal cats, but they are stronger, have shorter legs and thicker fur adapted to survival in harsh climates.
The cat breed also has a markedly wider face and flatter ears than normal cats.
As the four kittens were presumably abandoned by their mother, or she had died, the nature reserve staff chose to introduce them to two domestic cats, hoping that they would be able to take care of them.
There was great excitement about how the tame cats would react, because the wild animals were, after all, just that – wild. But luckily it went well, and when the palla cats got both milk, love and care, they quickly grew both big and strong.
Even though it was in the cards that the kittens would one day be returned to the wild, it was hard not to be fond of them. And the cats loved being in the reserve, where they hunted and had fun, and learned everything kittens need to become independent.
Then came the day when the cats were to be released into the wild and fend for themselves. It was a sad day for the staff, but everyone knew it was the only right thing to do.
Unfortunately, they didn’t do particularly well that first winter. They became thin and clearly could not withstand the strain they were subjected to. Therefore, it was decided that next winter the cats should be captured and kept in the reserve so that they could accompany them, and things went much better.
Now the cats have been returned to nature and are doing well.
Thanks to an attentive farmer, these four beautiful cats saved their lives and got a second chance. Pretty amazing, right?
