读新闻，学英文——中国山东烟台猫收养老鼠

Cat adopts rat

生词：

reckon⋯⋯估计

maternal instincts⋯⋯母性本能

predatory instincts⋯⋯捕食其他动物的本性

prey⋯⋯猎物、被捕食者

A pet cat in China has adopted a rat which she is nursing alongside her four kittens.



Sun Shujun, of Yantai City, says the rat has been living with her cat since the kittens were born four weeks ago.

Sun, 81, says that a neighbour came to see the kittens on the day they were born and was amazed to see a rat suckling alongside them.

"At the beginning, I thought I must have seen wrong. So I took a flashlight and had a clear look," said the neighbour.

The rat not only drinks cat's milk, but also plays with its kitten 'brothers and sisters', according to the Qilu Evening Post.

The cat reportedly treats the rat exactly the same as her natural kittens and it has become part of her family.

Sun reckons her maternal instincts must have overwhelmed her predatory instincts to allow her to adopt an animal she would normally see as prey.