Cats and dogs are synonymous with rivalries, but hearts have been melted by the adorable friendship between an inseparable pit bull and rescue kitten.
Back in September, Lia Salmai, 22, heard crying and discovered a kitten under the hood of her neighbor's car. Salmai took the feline into her home, in Barstow, California, but she was nervous about how her "reactive pit bull" named Major would respond to the addition.
Major is very good-natured and loves attention, but Salmai told Newsweek that he'd never been around a cat before and might not know how to behave. She feared that 2-year-old Major would get too excited when meeting the kitten and "hurt her unintentionally" as she's so small.
But as it turns out, Salmai had nothing to worry about because Major knew exactly how gentle to be around the kitten, named Mr. Mittens. Indeed, they've become the closest of friends since the moment they met, as Major "loved her from the start."
Salmai said: "I was nervous at first, not because I thought Major would hurt her intentionally, but because the kitten was so tiny and fragile. He has never been around a kitten before, so I wasn't sure how he would react.
"He saw the condition the kitten was in when I brought her in and just wanted to be near her. I put her in the tub with food and water, and Major just watched over her. When I held her in a blanket, he would lay his head on me near her head, and they just slept."
Mr. Mittens is thought to be around 10 weeks old now, and she sleeps separately from Major for now. But throughout the day, they're inseparable as they play, eat, and of course, nap together.
Witnessing their bond has been a wonderful experience for Salmai, as she "never in a million years" thought Major would become best friends with a cat.
"I love watching them together. He's very gentle with her even though she loves surprise attacking him. Watching them makes me happy and I feel like I made the right choice," she continued.
A video of the adorable duo was shared on TikTok (@lia.salmai), showing Major and Mr. Mittens cuddling up together. The clip has delighted internet users, leading to more than 3.5 million views and over 825,800 likes on TikTok in a matter of days.
Salmai never imagined her pets would go viral, but she loved showing people Major's softer side, as people often "get scared of him" because he's so big. After seeing how calm and gentle he is around Mr. Mittens, Salmai hopes he might change some people's perceptions.
She told Newsweek: "I just wanted to show my babies loving each other because it made me happy. I never imagined my dog being best friends with a cat, so it was very surprising seeing them bond the way that they do.
"I wish people would understand that a reactive dog doesn't mean an aggressive dog. There's a big difference between the two, and all animals deserve love."
With over 3,600 comments on the TikTok post already, many people praised the unlikely friends for being so sweet together.
One comment reads: "Reactive dogs deserve a chance too."
Another TikTok user wrote: "We don't deserve the kindness of animals."
While another person added: "This is so precious!!! Thank you for saving this baby."
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