Unexpected Animal Friendships at Havencroft

 One of the best things about life with animals is the surprises. Sometimes it’s discovering a cat asleep in the chicken coop, or a duck parading across the yard like he owns the place. But the sweetest surprises are the friendships — the ones we never expected. Over the years, we’ve seen bonds form between species that, on paper, shouldn’t have had much in common. Yet somehow, they work. Here are a few of our favorite unexpected animal friendships at Havencroft.

Dandelion and Copper: A Dog Who Became a Mom

When we first got Copper and Gallium, two kittens from a litter of four, we weren't sure how the dogs would feel. They'd only ever interacted with adult cats before, and kittens are their own sort of adorably annoying. But to our delight, Dandelion our Great Pyrenees dog, barely older than a puppy herself, showed a great deal of restrained interest in the kittens.

As Copper aged, he began to return Dandi's interest. At first, we caught Copper shadowing her — padding along behind her massive white tail, stopping whenever she did. Then one afternoon, we found them curled up together on the bed, Copper tucked into the ruff of Dandelion’s chest like he belonged there. From that day on, it was official: Copper had adopted Dandelion as his mom.

Now they nap together, wrestle gently indoors, and romp outside in the field. Dandelion is mostly patient, letting Copper bat at her tail or curl against her side. And Copper? He looks at her with wide, adoring eyes, following her as if she’s the center of his universe. 

It's fricking adorable.

Percival and His Hen: A Pigeon Who Thinks He’s a Chicken

Percival the Pigeon was found under a car in a parking lot, and delivered to us for lack of a more suitable place for him to go. We put him in with our junior hens, as he was roughly their size. And as they grew together, he began to gravitate toward one specific white leghorn hen.

The first time we noticed it, Percival napping behind a piece of plywood leaned up against the wall, cuddled up to a single leghorn hen. We thought it was a fluke. But the next day, and the day after that, there he was again — following her around the yard, scratching alongside her, even tucking into the coop at night.

Then, we looked out the window to see Percival on the roof of the barn... and the leghorn hen with him!

Now, the two are inseparable. Percival trails after her, puffing his chest and guarding her space. He even sits near her when she lays, shifting and fluffing the straw as though he’s waiting for eggs of his own. We’ve accepted that Percival identifies as a chicken, and honestly, he’s doing a pretty good job of it. 

Zeke and Silicon: The Alpaca and the Cat

Zeuxis, aka Zeke the alpaca, is playful by nature. He likes to romp, sniff, and investigate anything new in the barnyard. And the day we brought home Silicon, the friendliest barn can you've ever met, Zeke's curiosity got the best of him. He bent down to sniff her, his long neck stretching forward with careful interest. Silicon froze, tail twitching, but instead of running, she sat and let him investigate.

That tiny moment of tolerance sparked something. Now, Zeke follows Silicon around like she’s the most fascinating creature in the world. He snorts softly at her, leans down to sniff her fur, and sometimes tries to coax her into play. Silicon, for her part, has perfected the art of dignified patience. She doesn’t roll over and purr, but she doesn’t run either. She flicks her tail, glances at him with narrowed eyes, and then allows him to continue his strange courtship—only occasionally swatting his nose with her claws.

It’s a one-sided friendship in many ways, but it’s also genuine. Zeke lights up when she’s around, and Silicon, despite herself, seems to enjoy the attention.

The Beauty and the Risk of Cross-Species Bonds

These friendships are some of the sweetest parts of living with animals, but they come with an important caveat: you can’t force them, and you can’t ever take safety for granted.

We supervise all cross-species interactions for the first few weeks. Dogs and birds, for example, don’t mix unsupervised. Ever. Blueberry and Dandelion, as gentle as they can be, have caught guinea fowl before. And once, an alpaca accidentally stomped on a rooster. 

Best case, friendships like these bring joy and cuteness. Worst case, they can end in tragedy.

That’s why we take introductions slowly, observe body language carefully, and never push animals together. Friendships are organic — they either bloom on their own or they don’t. And when they do, it’s magic.

Tips for Encouraging Safe Animal Friendships

• Start with isolation. Quarantine new arrivals before any introductions. If possible, quarantine them in or near the space where they will be living so they can hear the sounds and smell the smalls. It will be less of an adjustment when they are introduced to the rest of the crew.
• Use supervision. Never leave animals of different species together unattended when you are introducing them, or even for the first few weeks of interaction.
• Observe body language. Look for signs of stress, aggression, or discomfort, and separate if needed.
• Short periods of interaction can grow into longer periods. Don't force stressful situations.
• Provide space. Let them observe each other at a safe distance before trying closer contact.
• Accept limits. Not every animal wants friends, and that’s okay. 

Why These Friendships Matter

From Copper nestled against Dandelion, to Percival guarding his hen, to Zeke shadowing Silicon, these bonds remind us that connection is universal. Animals don’t care about species the way humans do. They care about comfort, trust, and companionship.

Cross-species friendships don’t happen because we will them into existence — they happen because the animals choose them. Our role is to provide safety, supervision, and respect for their boundaries. Sometimes nothing comes of it, and sometimes, if we’re lucky, we end up with a pigeon who thinks he’s a chicken, a cat who tolerates an alpaca’s affection, or a dog who adopts a kitten as her own. These friendships may not be common, but when they do blossom, they add a layer of joy and wonder to life with animals that makes every bit of the work worthwhile.