Hop To It! Kangaroo Jimmy Comforts Owner Through Cancer Treatment

Diana and Larry Moyer adopted adorable kangaroo Jimmy when he was just three-months-old.

The kangaroo crazy couple now live with their bounding pet who wears nappies and human clothes.

Diana, a 53-year-old farmer from Wisconsin, USA, has kept kangaroos for eight years, but Jimmy is the first the pair have raised in their home.

The red kangaroo, now nine-months old, came from a zoo North of Wisconsin and was a gift for Diana after she was diagnosed with cancer.

Diana said: “I have cancer. Jimmy helps me by keeping my mind occupied. His love and his faithfulness are unbelievable.

“He’s always there for me, if I’m feeling sad he knows it and he cheers me up.

“He’s a wonderful guy to have around. We have a very close relationship.

“We watch TV together and we sleep together, he wakes me up every two hours to make sure I’m okay.

“Jimmy gives me so much love.”

But having a kangaroo for a pet has proved controversial for the couple.

In February Jimmy hit headlines around the world when Diana took Jimmy to a fast food restaurant and the police were called.

Diana said: “Jimmy was just a little thing about a foot and a half tall. He was in a car seat and he could hardly hop.”

Jimmy’s favourite dish is macaroni cheese which he shares a plate of with Diana each day.

Diana said: “If I leave him he gets really upset and wants me home to be with him.

“He loves to go for car rides with us, we spend a lot of time together.

“I give him a bath every other week and I try to brush him every day.”

Diana has kept kangaroos since she adopted a crippled roo with a broken tail from an auction.

Red kangaroos are the world’s largest marsupial and can grow up to 1.6 meters tall and weigh up to 200 pounds.

They naturally live in Australia’s deserts and grasslands where they can reach speeds of over 35 miles an hour and can jump 1.8 metres in a single leap.

“I totally fell in love with kangaroos and I’ve had them ever since.

“Jimmy is definitely part of our family and always will be. He’s a wonderful pet because of his loyalty and his love towards me.

"He isn’t dangerous in any way.”

And husband Larry sees the couple’s affectionate 'roo as a child.

“I think Jimmy is very wonderful. In the house he’s therapeutic for my wife but he’s also a great pet for me too, I love him.

“He helps Diana in many ways, he helps her through her cancer, he’s a good pet and a good friend.

“Diana and Jimmy are together almost all the time, sleeping and eating, he likes to share food with Diana.

“I love him so much he’s like my child.”

But Diana and Larry know eventually Jimmy won’t be able to spend all his time in the house.

“He needs to be a kangaroo when he gets older, he’ll be in the house for another two years but then he’ll want to be outside,” Diana said.

“But then he’ll definitely in the house at night.

“If people told me I shouldn’t keep kangaroos as a pet, they should really try it. Roo’s can give you a huge amount of love and affection.

“Nobody who spent time with Jimmy could think he was dangerous, he’s so gentle and loving.”