A French teacher from Headington shared adorable snaps of her 'superstar' pet chicken and the story of how they met.
Sophie Bonnefoi, from Headington, had no intention of becoming a pet owner but she said when Cutie, her pet Brahma chicken, hatched "it was love at first sight".
The 54-year-old had been looking after an incubator for her friend, who expected to be home before they hatched, but after 21 days exactly the chicks started coming out.
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Cutie is no ordinary chicken, knowing how to play fetch, giving cuddles, and coming running when Facetime starts up so that she can join in with the conversation.
Ms Bonnefoi explained: "I didn't know anything about chickens at all so it was unexpected.
"When Cutie hatched I could hear a peep peep through the shell, and then the first thing she saw when she came out was me. Chicken's imprint, so the first being they see is mum to them."
She continued: "My friend asked if I want to keep her so I did, and kept her with her sibling for the first three months.
"I took her to the countryside to be with the other chicks but she would come and sit on my lap and hide in my coat. My nieces, the children of my close friend, also look after her."
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The Oxford Brookes alumni said that on August 2022 Cutie will reach her 2nd Birthday, just one of the celebrations she has been marking including every egg milestone (the next is 200).
She said: "The children love her. Cutie is very cuddly and kind, she never pecks.
"Whenever I call on Facetime she loves to come along and everyone is always asking about her."
The celebrations can often be quite creative, Cutie's first birthday featuring a lettuce birthday cake.
Ms Bonnefoi has been documenting Cutie's life since she was a chick through photos and posting some of these on the Oxford Mail Camera Club Facebook page.
A photo of Cutie and her sibling speedy noticing their shadows for the first time taken by Ms Bonnefoi won an online competition for the Comedy Pet Photo Awards in December 2021.
Founded by Paul Joynson-Hicks, a wildlife photographer, the competition raises awareness of animal welfare and raises money for charity.
She said that this really increased her confidence in her photography.
On how vital cutie has been over lockdown, Ms Bonnefoi who lives alone said: "The chicken changed my life."
"The first lockdown was hard. But as soon as I got cutie I didn't feel the loneliness of the next lockdowns. She's an absolute superstar."
Read more from this author
This story was written by Shosha Adie.
She joined the team in 2022 as a digital reporter.
To get in touch with her email: Shosha.Adie@newsquest.co.uk
Follow her on Twitter: @ShoshaAdie
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