Chattanooga, Tennessee – T’challa, the little bobcat, might be a wildcat, but he’s got a soft side for an unexpected cuddle companion.
You see, wildcats aren’t typically keen on veggies. T’challa’s caretaker, Juniper Russo from For Fox Sake Wildlife, knew this and never bothered introducing vegetables to his habitat.
But fate took an unexpected turn one day when Russo walked by T’challa’s enclosure with a box full of veggies. To her surprise, T’challa cried out loud, expressing his desire to join the veggie party.
“I handed him a fennel bulb, expecting that he would realize that he didn’t want it after all,” Russo shared.
However, instead of being repulsed, the cute bobcat grabbed the bulb, snuggled with it, and even brought it to bed. And that marked the beginning of their adorable cuddle sessions.
Never in a million years did T’challa think of biting his newfound favorite toy. What started as a one-time incident turned into a sweet ritual between Russo and T’challa.
Now, whenever Russo passes by his habitat with a bowl of veggies, T’challa gets his fennel fix.
“He cuddles with it and rubs against it and brings it to his bed to sleep with it,” Russo said. “When he has multiple fennel bulbs at one time, he sometimes puts the extras into his toy cache to save for later.”
It might be an unusual love story, but you can’t really control who you fall in love with—even if it’s a vegetable!
