A dog and cat that made unlikely friends at a vet’s have delighted the internet after a video of them playing went viral on Reddit.
Shared on April 10, the video on the popular r/aww forum has gained more than 69,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments.
The video that was filmed by owners Esmeralda and Sam was filmed in the south of France, where they and their year-old Dachshund named Mango are visiting their families.
Esmeralda told Newsweek: “Mango usually barks at cats so this was definitely unexpected. They met the day before and sniffed each other a little bit but nothing eventful happened. I went back to the vet the next da to get a rabies shot for Mango and she was a little distressed after the jab.
b00stfr3ak/Reddit
“The vet suggested I let her off the lead so the cat could distract her and they started playing right away! We all stopped to take videos and pictures.”
The cat, named Rillettes, spends most of his time at the vet’s and instantly distracted Mango from any upset during her visit.
Having a feline companion might not always be an option, but VCA Animal Hospitals said that they are plenty of ways to help reduce your dog’s stress on a visit to the vet. They said: “A visit to the veterinarian is an overwhelming situation for some dogs and their owners.”
VCA Animal Hospitals suggested a systematic desensitization method, where the owner slowly gets their pet used to things they may see at the vets. From introducing your pet to people wearing a white coat, the smell of disinfectant or proximity to other animals—helping them to get used to these new and different stimuli can help your dog gradually relax.
Delighted by the video, Reddit users flooded to the comments to share their joy at the unusual cat and dog playtime.
“I love when dogs and cats become buddies,” said one commenter. Another reply said: “Vet cats are the best. They’re friendly around just about anyone and any pet.”
“Damn that’s a gentle cat,” wrote another commenter. “Our cat would claw our little dude’s eyes out.”
“Animals are so much better than humans. They’re beautiful buddies,” said another Reddit user.
Surprised by the reaction to the video, Esmeralda says she was pleased that her boyfriend shared the video: “I don’t really use social media so I didn’t think much of it when he posted the video online. He woke me up the next morning and showed me how many people had reacted and commented on it. I’m glad Mango and Rillettes could brighten up people’s day a little bit.”
Last week, another cat and dog friendship also melted hearts online in a viral TikTok video, while one heartwarming video showed how a puppy and kitten grew up together as best friends.
