First there was Thelma and Louise, Wilma and Betty. And now, there’s Sparkle and Rosie.
This llama and cat duo are absolutely winning the hearts of animal lovers everywhere with their odd, yet adorable friendship.
Sparkle the llama and Rosie the cat formed a special bond before being adopted by Farm Animal Rescue of Mifflinburg in Pennsylvania. Hernesh said Sparkle and Rosie nuzzle everyday.
Sparkle, an estimated 8-to-10-year-old llama and Rosie, a 6-year-old feline, nuzzle on a daily basis on their 14-acre farm in Pennsylvania, but it wasn’t until they were adopted that the world became aware of their connection.
Sparkle the llama and Rosie the cat formed a special bond before being adopted by Farm Animal Rescue of Mifflinburg in Pennsylvania. Hernesh said Sparkle and Rosie’s previous owner informed him of the friendship before the pair were adopted.
“The previous owner said Rosie started hanging around the barn and the two took up a natural friendship,” said Roy Hernesh, director of the Farm Animal Rescue of Mifflinburg and owner of the two animals. “In the winter, Sparkle would be laid [on] the ground and Rosie would snuggle up to her and keep warm.”
Sparkle the llama and Rosie the cat formed a special bond before being adopted by Farm Animal Rescue of Mifflinburg in Pennsylvania.
He went on to say: “I understand Rosie gets warmth and affection, [but] I’m not sure what Sparkle gets out of it. Maybe she just likes the cat. It’s really cute.”
Sparkle the llama and Rosie the cat formed a special bond before being adopted by Farm Animal Rescue of Mifflinburg in Pennsylvania. The pair were brought by Roy Hernesh and his wife Lorie to the farm in September 2015.
Hernesh told reporters ABC News that he and his wife, Lorie, took in Sparkle and Rosie in September 2015 after their former owner asked the Herneshes to take in her herd of all 10 llamas without having to separate the animals. The woman also requested that the couple adopt Sparkle’s best friend, who is none other than Rosie the cat.
“We thought maybe she was exaggerating a little, but they really do have a special bond and it’s sort of unusual,” Hernesh stated.
When the Herneshes noticed that Sparkle and Rosie had become unbreakable, they started documenting their closeness. Photos and videos of the two quickly attracted attention on the Internet worldwide.
“I think there’s a common misconception about llamas being nasty, spitting animals and they’re actually not,” Hernesh said. “Sparkle is amongst the most receptive llamas … she loves being stroked and petted, she likes human interaction. She runs on what we call, ‘Sparkle time.’ When the herd is moving, she’s the last one … she just kind of does her own thing at her own pace and she likes to be with who she likes to be with. She has two llama friends and Rosie. She enjoys sitting in the sunshine and she’s just a pleasure for us.”
Although Rosie is completely devoted to Sparkle, the cat also shows curiosity toward the horses, goats and a few other animals at the farm, Hernesh concluded.
