15 Animal Stories That Prove Kindness Is a Language Every Living Being Speaks

We tend to believe that intelligence, empathy, and decency are exclusively human traits. However, the heroes in this article prove that’s far from reality. Animals rescue from carbon monoxide, comfort crying owners, gather trash, and even protect against aggressive relatives. We put together 15 touching stories that show our pets possess far more wit and kindness than we think.

• I have a cat — a lazy, self-satisfied little guy. And then one day, I find 2 kittens in our apartment! I stare at them, trying to figure out where they came from.
  Suddenly, I hear a noise from the balcony. I go to check, and there’s my Chubby, pulling off some “acrobatics” and rescuing the kittens! It turned out they were either on the roof or somewhere nearby without their mom. Altogether, there were 4 of these “foundlings.”
  Never in my life would I have thought my cat was capable of such a thing. Of course, I praised him and started thinking about how to rehome the little ones. My cat is a real hero, it’s unbelievable! © Ward № 6 / VK

• Morning, I'm standing on my balcony, sipping coffee, watching people below. Everyone's hurrying to work or running errands.
  A guy walks by, finishes his coffee, and tosses the cup on the ground. A few minutes later, a woman passes, finishes her candy, and throws the wrapper on the ground. And a kid threw a paper.
  While I was upset over all this, a big black crow landed and started picking up all the trash! It grabbed the paper and flew to the trash bin with it. Then the cup, then the wrapper. The crow is making sure it stays clean! © Ward №6 / VK
• Our dog joined us a year after our son was born, and at that point, she hadn't been with us long. One day, I left my one-year-old in the room for a nap and went to make lunch.
  When I came back, I saw the dog standing on 2 legs, holding my son, who had rolled to the edge of the bed in his sleep, preventing him from falling. How long she stood there is unknown, but our strong and resilient Pitbull was already shaking from the strain. I thank her for that! © Soven iz chashi / Dzen

• A cat saved me in my childhood. My grandmother closed the stove damper early and left the house. I was asleep.
  When I woke up, I felt unwell. I was very dizzy. But I wouldn’t have guessed to leave the room filled with carbon monoxide myself.
  My beloved cat began to ask to go outside. She stood at the threshold and meowed loudly. She could easily have gone out through the cat hole in the basement. But she called me outside.
  I remember barely making it to the door, opening it and deciding to go outside with the cat. There I caught my breath and waited for my grandmother. And she figured out what happened. © Elena F / Dzen
• I’m allergic. One day, I had the strongest bronchospasm. I was lying there, unable to breathe in or out, unable to move. My beloved cat Susanna came in, lay on my chest, like she wanted to show me how it was supposed to be done...
  She warmed me up, got me breathing again, and then happily went back to her chair. I still fondly remember my beloved calico. She left us when she was 21 years old. © Marina K / Dzen

• I had a really bad day and was in my room crying, my cockatiel Stormageddon started screaming from his cage, so I got him out, he jumped onto my shoulder and put his head on my cheek and started saying, “It’s okay, it’s okay, it’s okay” over and over again.
  I say that to him when he freaks out in his cage at nighttime (a car honks a horn outside, and he starts screaming and flapping his wings). I didn’t realize he could tell I was sad and say it back to me to comfort me like I comfort him, let alone say it at all. © The-Goat-Lord / Reddit
• I have a huge blind bulldog. He loves everyone in the world, including kids and cats.
  One day, a coworker gave me a ride home, and I invited him in. We had just crossed the threshold when my dog bared his teeth and started growling at the guest. I was shocked! The coworker left, and I scolded the dog.
  A few months later, I found out that this coworker was involved in some very bad things. So my blind pup, who loves everyone, somehow knew he needed to hate this guy. © JaySavvy / Reddit

• My daughter’s dog is every owner’s nightmare. It was rescued from the basement, was a completely unsocial, fearfully aggressive creature. It accepts our family, but no one else.
  My daughter isn’t even its owner, more like a puppy sibling. No, everything is alright with obedience, but I can’t hug my child in its presence. She cries and tries to shield my daughter with her body and pushes me away.
  Then, my daughter falls seriously in love. The relationship reaches the stage where they were planning to move in together. And I realize we have a problem. An unfamiliar guy in close contact with the beloved owner.
  We introduce the young man to the dog — and a miracle happens, love at first sight. It turns out he’s not just some guy who wandered in, he’s now her beloved boy. Yes, he can hug my daughter, he is the only one who can. © Elena Marchuk / ADME
• When I moved away from my parents, my cat stayed with them. I couldn’t take him with me because I was working around the clock, and he was getting old, mostly sleeping, and I didn’t want to disturb the old fellow.
  But if I called, he somehow sensed it — a few minutes before the call he would always sit beside the phone. They would always give him the receiver, and I would tell him how much I loved him. After that, he would calmly walk away, and my parents and I would continue talking. © Tatiana Lobanova / ADME

• We adopted a black cat with my husband. He turned out to be playful, but always knew his boundaries and never bit or scratched too hard.
  One day, my husband’s sister, with whom I have, to put it mildly, not the warmest relationship, came over. She sat on the couch, saying all sorts of nasty things toward me, and I was on the verge of tears. But then the cat started leaping at her from a running start!
  I picked him up, trying to calm him down, but he would break free and go after her again, biting and scratching. A true protector! © Overheard / Ideer
• I was breaking up with a guy. It was tough, and on top of that, they asked me to vacate the apartment rather quickly. I tossed my toothbrush and some essentials into a backpack and headed to a friend’s place.
  She was dog-sitting a smart little red dog named Mena for a couple of weeks while the owners were away. So I curled up on the couch, crying and unable to stop. And Mena, who had never seen me before, started licking away my tears!
  Then he simply laid his head on my chest and stayed there, occasionally looking at me with his endlessly kind eyes, as if saying, “Everything will be alright.” And indeed, everything turned out to be alright.

• I live alone and a few nights ago I got a bad case of the “stomach flu.” I ended up sleeping on the floor of my bathroom as I had to throw up so much and with little warning. I brought in some blankets and such, and left the door to my bedroom open. I figured my dog would settle down in my bed for the night.
  Instead, he sat next to me while I vomited, giving me tiny kisses in a consoling way. When I was able to lay down for a bit, he “patrolled” around my apartment returning to me every short bit to give more kisses or to “stand guard,” and when I was finally able to start to sleep, he settled down with me on the floor and snuggled me to sleep.
  He really tried to protect me and let his own comfort go, and it was the most adorable thing he had ever done. It truly showed me how much he cares for me, it’s on a level that I couldn’t even imagine. © JanAnglicko496 / Reddit
• A month ago, my cat was attacked by a dog. We found him in time and took him to the vet. We’re not a very wealthy family, so we only had enough money to disinfect the wound.
  When we brought our cat home, we laid him on my bed. It was the first time I saw a cat cry. I gently wiped away his tears. The wound healed, and now everything is fine.
  But recently, my boyfriend broke up with me — and my cat came over, lay down next to me, and wiped my tears with his paw. © Overheard / Ideer

• My husband cheated on me. I cried day and night. And so, after watching me for a few days, my cat Mary at some point went and knocked our wedding photo off the dresser. She did her cat business on it, and then came to me for affection.
  A couple of days later she did the same, but this time in front of my husband, and into his shoes, when he came to pack his things. And since the cat made her opinion of him clear, I really shouldn’t suffer. Mary and I will find ourselves a decent man for the house! © Ward No. 6 / VK
• Came down with tonsillitis. So the stray cat I rescued as an adult and who wasn’t used to human touch (won’t let himself be petted, sleeps on the floor, doesn’t rub against your legs) showed his true colors last night. I woke up to find this 8-pound bundle lying on my throat with his fluffy belly and purring so loudly the walls were shaking. Such a caring fellow. © Overheard / Ideer

Well, it seems there are things we can learn from our furry friends! Which of these stories impressed you the most? Have you ever experienced a moment when an animal did something genuinely “human,” proving its kindness and intelligence? Share in the comments!

And these pets decided to take matters into their own paws. Check them out.