From tales of silly pets to wild wisecrackers, these funny animal stories will brighten your day and give you belly laughs
18 Wild (but True!) Funny Animal Stories
Updated on May 28, 2025
Justice delivered by paw
When someone is arrested, it’s not uncommon for a loved one to come down and pay bail or plead for their release. And such was the case when a Dominican man was taken into custody by police for violating curfew—except his loved one was of the canine variety. As seen in a police Facebook video, the loyal dog strolls in confidently and begs for his owner’s release. And it worked!
“You know why I’m going to let him go? Because anyone can come here, and that dog came and told me [the man] was his. And that’s why I’m going to let him go,” said police colonel José Francisco de la Cruz Mercedes. “This is the first time I have handed over a prisoner to a dog.” The man, for his part, reportedly promised to behave going forward.
The cat in the clouds
Clyde, a fluffy white kitty, went viral on X when his owner, Amanda Hyslop, posted a photo she’d taken of him. By chance, she’d managed to catch his reflection perfectly in the window while photographing clouds, making it appear that the cloud-like cat had ascended to his rightful throne in the sky.
“Took a pic of the cat lookin’ out the window and accidentally turned him into some sort of god,” she tweeted. People loved Clyde’s regal pose. He hasn’t let the 1.1 million likes go to his head, though, as Hyslop showed in a second picture of him lounging on his back in the sun.
Birds of a feather … swear together
Featuring next on our list of funny animal stories are five cheeky parrots. In Lincolnshire Wildlife Center in the U.K., five African grey parrots—Billy, Eric, Tyson, Jade and Elsie—had to be separated for “encouraging each other to swear” at patrons. “We are quite used to parrots swearing, but we’ve never had five at the same time, and for some reason, these five relish it,” Steve Nichols, the zoo’s chief executive, told the Associated Press.
People were mainly entertained by the potty-mouthed parrots. “When a parrot tells you to ‘f— off,’ it amuses people very highly,” he said. But for the sake of children, the zoo decided it was best to put the talking birds in separate enclosures until they could behave.
A bird with some baggage
A Pakistani pigeon was arrested by Indian law enforcement on suspicion of being a spy. The bird flew over the contentious border and was apprehended due to a suspicious ring around its ankle printed with numbers. Eventually, it was found that the digits were actually just the cellphone number of the pigeon’s owner. After a thorough investigation, the pigeon was deemed not to be a threat to national security and was set free. “It was just an innocent bird,” police told Reuters. But before you laugh it off, you should know that this wasn’t the first case of avian espionage in the area: In 2016, a pigeon was taken into Indian custody after it was found with a note threatening Indian prime minister Narendra Modi.
Cat vs. monk
A Thai Buddhist monk was just trying to say the (five-hour-long) prayer for New Year’s when one of the temple cats decided it needed attention right then. The orange kitty crawled all over the monk as he tried desperately not to lose concentration, delighting viewers all over the world watching this interaction stream on Facebook. The cat would not be ignored and climbed up the monk’s robe, kneaded his shoulder and then blocked his scripture book so he would have no choice. Finally, the monk relented and gave it some pets and scritches. Respect for all living beings is a key tenet of Buddhism, and the monk later said he has a soft spot for the “fat and pampered” temple cats.
The toad who lived rent-free
Jabba the toad first claimed Sita Hood’s old running shoe as her home, catching flies by day and lounging in comfort by night. At first, Hood thought it was a fluke and assumed the toad would hop away over the next day or two. Jabba ended up staying the entire summer before going somewhere else to hibernate. It was a cute story, but Hood was in for a big surprise when Jabba returned the following spring and jumped back into her old shoe. Hood says it’s no longer her shoe anymore but Jabba’s home. She even made a sign for the amphibian so people wouldn’t accidentally dump her out. “Donating my shoe was no big deal,” Hood told the Dodo. “If it afforded her comfort or protection, why not?”
None of your business
Weddings are about love, sure, but commemorating the event through pictures is just as important to encapsulate the couple’s special day. Freya decided to do just that when her human parents brought her to their wedding. She was an adorable usher, but then, in the middle of the ceremony, nature called and she did what dogs do: She pooped on the lawn. The photographer accidentally captured the funny animal story forever, as Freya was framed mid-squat by the bridal party. People thought it was hilarious and gave her a round of applause when she finished her business.
The octopus that shook its rescuers’ hands
An Egyptian couple found an octopus stranded on a beach and decided to move it back to deeper waters. It looked near death, and they were worried about their new friend, so they went back to check on it the next day, only to discover the sea creature was alive and well. Perhaps the octopus had been looking for them, too, because for the next hour, it followed them along the beach, occasionally reaching out a tentacle to “shake hands” (or give them the cephalopod equivalent of a high-five?). After appropriately thanking its rescuers, it headed back out to sea.
Not all heroes wear capes
When British charity PDSA announced the winner of the Gold Medal, its top civilian award, people were surprised—mostly because the winner wasn’t a person but a giant African pouched rat. Magawa was awarded the high honor for his diligent work searching out unexploded land mines in Cambodia. The nearly 3-pound rat was presented with a tiny gold medal and commended for his “lifesaving bravery and devotion” after discovering 39 landmines and 28 items of unexploded ordnance over seven years, according to the charity. They also noted that when Magawa was not saving lives, he enjoyed snacking on peanuts and bananas and napping. Same, Magawa, same.
Find the cat (if you can)
Jet-black cat Chiquinho has a superpower: hiding in plain sight. And people love playing hide-and-seek with him. When his mom, Alessandra Ribeiro, posted a picture of her kitchen on social media, asking people if they could spot the cat, the whole internet went crazy trying to find him. “He loves being sneaky,” Ribeiro said. “We are sometimes surprised by the places he hides.”
@caliboycolin Chipmunk (alvin) is doing better now!!! #chipmunk #animetiktok ♬ original sound – Colin Seifert
Rescue ranger
Just before logging onto a Zoom class, Colin Seifert spotted a chipmunk swimming in his pool. But it didn’t look like the little guy was freestyling for fun, and Seifert saw that he was starting to sink. Calling the little guy Alvin, he rescued him with a pool skimmer. But Alvin wasn’t out of the woods (er, pool area) yet and was shaking uncontrollably, rolling over on his back. Seifert wrapped him up in a towel and brought him walnuts. After showing Alvin to the class, his teacher took pity on him and let him go early to care for the chipmunk. Finally, the sun came out, and after eating a few nuts, Alvin was back on his way. “Every time I see a chipmunk, I kinda hope it’s him,” Seifert told the Dodo.
Dog proves that sometimes you just gotta be you
There’s always one person in every group picture who has to do their own thing, and the same is true for Shiba Inu siblings Hina, Sasha, Kikko and Momo. Their human mom, Yoko Kikuchi, loves to take pictures of all four dogs lined up, but in every portrait, it seems like Hina is pulling a face or doing some pose that is completely opposite from her siblings.
Monkey see, monkey snap
Zackrydz Rodzi, a 20-year-old Malaysian man, plugged in his phone before going to sleep only to find the device missing the next morning. There were no signs of a break-in, and he had no idea who could have taken it. After his father mentioned that he had seen a monkey hanging around nearby, Rodzi searched the forest behind his house and found the phone buried in some mud. His uncle joked that maybe the monkey just wanted to take some selfies, so Rodzi checked the photo gallery. “I was shocked. The suspect’s face was plastered on the screen. It was hilarious,” he told the Associated Press. No word on whether the ape mastered the “fish lips” pout or how to work his angles.
Snake wins at tag
Opening the front door of her Mississippi home, Christina Mitchell was surprised by a thump and something landing on her head. That something turned out to be a 10-inch rat snake that had dived off a plant over the door frame and tagged her as “it.” Unlike most people, Mitchell didn’t panic and instead simply ushered the snake back outside.
“He tried to bite at my broom whenever I put him outside. He probably thought that was really rude. We kind of had a stare-down,” she told the Enterprise-Journal. Is she up for round two of snakey tag? Absolutely. “I actually really like snakes. I think they’re fascinating,” she said. “I’ll just open my door really slowly from now on.”
@audreywaito Just wanted to eat his dinner and relax! #murphy ♬ original sound – audreywaito🇨🇦
Dining like a dog
Who doesn’t prefer a relaxed dining experience? Audrey Waito’s dog, Murphy, certainly does. Waito posted a TikTok video of Murphy very carefully carrying his dinner bowl from the kitchen to the living room and jumping up on the couch—without spilling a single kibble—then settling in to veg out and snack. Waito says that Murphy got the idea from watching her and her daughter eat on the couch and decided that if they got to be comfy while eating, then so did he. Now it’s a tradition to eat together as a family.
Purrrfect pest control
Our list of funny animal stories includes not one but two hilarious tales that have to do with poop. But instead of dogs, this one features big cats. Excrement from lions, tigers and other kings of the jungle makes for an excellent pest deterrent, according to a German circus that sold jars of feline feces for 5 euros each. The circus was shut for obvious reasons in 2020, and it opened the pop-up poop shop as a way to keep its 26 lions and tigers fed and sheltered. And it sure worked! Lion tamer Martin Lacey says happy customers reported that it not only keeps small animals away from gardens and electrical cables, but it also works well for human pests. “Put some in the garden, and the neighbors will go away,” he jokingly told Reuters.
Diva bird moves in, rules the roost
It’s not uncommon to hear about wildlife wandering onto someone’s property. But a rooster? Strutting in through the front door? That’s exactly what Ronnie did at the Sanders family home. Once inside, he decided he was there to stay and was going to rule the roost—usually from his perch on the ceiling fan. “I instantly fell in love with him,” dad Chaz told the Dodo. “He follows us around like a dog and loves attention. He basically took over and now does whatever he wants.” And yes, that includes waking up the whole house at dawn every day.
@.familia_animal ZABELÊ ACORDOU VIRADA NO GIRAIA 🤣😅🤪🐾❤️🐆😍#oncapintada #edit #familiaanimal🐆 #institutooncapintada #IOP🐆 #zabele ♬ som original – FAMÍLIA ANIMAL 🐆
The dog who thought it was a big cat
In a charming yet somewhat alarming video posted on social media, Zabelê, a blue heeler, pals around with what appears to be a black Lab. But take a closer look, and you’ll see that Zabelê’s buddy is actually a jaguar. The two have been friends for a while, with Zabelê acting as a nanny of sorts to Luna, starting when she was a tiny kitten brought to the Instituto Onça-Pintada Reserve in Brazil, explains biologist Leandro Silveira. The pair bonded, and the dog takes care of the jaguar as if she were her own baby. As another video from the Instituto Onça-Pintada Reserve reveals, Zabelê is now friends with other big cats as well.
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Times Now News: “Loyal dog walks into police station, persuades officers to free his owner”
- X: “Took a pic of the cat lookin out the window and accidentally turned him into some sort of god”
- The Dodo: “People Can’t Get Enough Of This Fluffy White Cat In The Clouds”
- Associated Press: “Gray parrots separated at zoo after swearing a blue streak”
- Reuters: “Move over James Bond; India returns alleged bird spy to Pakistan”
- Reuters: “Cat vs. chants: Friendly feline tests Buddhist monk’s patience”
- The Dodo: “Woman Goes Above And Beyond For A Toad Who Decided To Live In Her Shoe”
- BBC: “Magawa, the landmine-sniffing hero rat, dies aged eight”
- The Dodo: “People Are Having A Tough Time Spotting The Cat In This Photo”
- The Dodo: “Guy Rescues Chipmunk From Swimming Pool During Zoom Class”
- Associated Press: “Primate monkeys around with student’s phone, takes selfies”
- Newsweek: “Snake Falls on Mississippi Woman’s Head as She Opens Her Front Door”
- TikTok: “Just wanted to eat his dinner and relax! #murphy”
- Reuters: “Big cats’ droppings help German circus weather coronavirus crisis”
- The Dodo: “Stray Rooster Wanders Into Family’s House And Decides He Lives There Now”
