A beagle letting out his inner puppy after being introduced to a new feline friend has melted hearts online this week.
Sharing on Reddit on Tuesday, pet owner and Reddit user Perpetual_Tuesday posted the video of her dog, 13-year-old Willie, and kitten Louie on the popular r/aww forum.
“He is the happiest friendliest beagle ever,” Perpetual_Tuesday told Newsweek. “He thinks everyone and everything is his friend, including our laying ducks who disagree.”
Willie was rescued from a puppy mill when he was just a baby and grew up alongside their other dog Oscar who passed away in September.
“Willie has been very upset for the past year about his friend’s decline and passing, and became very depressed,” said Perpetual_Tuesday. “The house was very sad.”
That was when the family decided they needed some cheer in the house again and looked into rescuing a new pet.
“We contacted a local rescue and met Louie,” explained the owner. Louie the kitten was born in June into a hoarding situation in Louisiana where over 50 cats were living in a trailer home.
“His bio described him as a spunky guy who loves snuggles and kisses,” said Perpetual_Tuesday. “That was very much correct. He is the most stereotypical loveable troublemaking cat.”
When Louie first came home, he was hesitant with Willie the dog, but quickly came around and ever since the two have been inseparable.
“They play together, sleep together and eat together,” said the animal’s owner. “Willie is so happy he’s like a puppy again and Louie has found a loving home where he has a big stinky loud friend.”
Despite popular belief, cats and dogs will often live in harmony. In fact, a 2020 study by researchers in Italy found that there are no reasons cats and dogs cannot get on.
While not all cats and dogs will be the best of friends, introducing them carefully can help.
Marny Nofi, senior manager on the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Behavioral Sciences Team, previously told Newsweek, “Taking things slow will help to avoid a bad first impression. Some cats will be quite confident around dogs; others will need to adjust to their new housemates more slowly.”
In the video, Willie runs to find his feline friend and delights spinning in circles when they are together before letting out a few well-placed “awoos.”
On Reddit, the video of Willie and Louie delighted viewers who headed to the comments to share their reactions.
One viewer said: “God that’s a cheerer upper.” Another said: “Too cute! Glad they are both having fun.”
“I needed this more today than you’ll ever know,” said another Redditor.
One comment simply said: “This is precious.”
“Y’all that is great getting a kitten to bring out the puppy in your beagle again. Get them both running around the house and getting exercise and then laying down afterwards and cuddling like best friends,” said one thrilled Redditor.
One commenter dubbed the pair “Super friends.”
The post Hearts Melt as Senior Beagle Finds ‘Inner Puppy’ by Playing With New Kitten appeared first on Newsweek.
