Its A Dogs Life for This Special Cat
There are many things that are quintessentially feline, and its fair to say that hard work is not usually on the list. However, at a time when boundaries are being broken and stereotypes are shattered, one cat is making his mark as a mustering enthusiast.Mangos unusual lifestyle came to light when cattle farmer Beck Smith posted a video surveying the flood damage on her 130,000-acre beef cattle station west of Stonehenge, a tiny dot on the map in western Queensland, Australia. This is about as outback as you can get. Far from being a typical influencer, Beck had no intention of getting into the social media game.I never thought I would create a page such as this, but here I am and here we are.You might wonder why the appearance of a cat even one as adorable as Mango would cause such a stir in the feline-saturated online community. Mango isnt just your typical lay around and watch the others work type of cat; Mango gets in amongst it. If theres mustering to be done, he is right there on the back of the truck, the front of the ATV, or perched on the handlebars of the dirt bike, ready to get going.Mango and the GangMango joined Beck when he was around eight weeks old and has grown up surrounded by her working Border Collies, so getting down and dusty on the farm is nothing new to this little feline. Despite his very dog-like characteristics and work ethic, Mango hasnt completely abandoned his heritage. According to Beck, he is very much a cat, so Mango does what Mango wants.More Than Just a Pretty FaceThe sheer entertainment value of seeing a cute kitty riding shotgun on a quad bike might be reason enough to join the growing number of fans following Mango and the crew on their Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok accounts, but there is much more to this story.While Mango might be a cat in a dog-dominated field, his designated human, Beck, is a woman in a very male-dominated career, living season-to-season in an unforgiving environment. Outback Australia is an area of climate extremes, where you can be looking at your livestock struggling to survive months without a drop of rain one minute, only to be facing devastating floods the next. The increased interest and traffic that Mango has brought to Becks social media pages has created an opportunity to raise awareness about the struggles faced by people living on remote properties, as well as provided a conduit for talking about a subject often considered to be taboo in the farming world: mental health, something she discussed with Hannah Walsh from the Australia Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) earlier this month.People on the land dont like to be seen as having any weaknesses because youve got to be tough, youve got to be able to handle everything that life throws at you.And if youre a woman, the pressure to succeed is even greater.Mango Buckle upWhatever a man does, you have to do it twice as hard and tough as what they do, says Beck. Im expected to bake the cake and be a bush mechanic too.Mangos role on the property may not be quite as hands (or paws) on as that of the herding dogs, but it is no less important. Having a lovely little fluffy cat with personality, it draws people in, said Beck. People are laughing at him and his antics, but then they are also seeing what were going through as well.In a world that can often feel isolated and overwhelming, providing emotional support and raising awareness might not feel too taxing to this feline, but we think hes doing one heck of a job.Did You Know? Our breaking news articles are featured in our weekly emails. Dont miss out on the latest and sign up for our newsletter below!
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