A dog owner filmed the moment she told her two mastiffs about the new cat living in their home, and the canines’ reaction has left internet users in hysterics.
The viral TikTok video, shared in November under the username @sabrenamorgan, shows the two dogs, Phyllis and Murphy, standing by the door as they stare into the living room, where the cat, not in shot, is presumably hanging out, shocked by the discovery.
“Breaking the news about the cat that lives here now,” reads the caption. While the pups are taking their time to get to know their feline sister, Zoe, it doesn’t mean that they won’t accept her or that they will never get along. Newsweek reached out to @sabrenamorgan for comment. We could not verify the details of the case.
It has been scientifically proven that cats and dogs can, in most cases, live together in harmony, and they can even become best of friends.
A study from 2020 found published in the journal PLOS ONE, which questioned over 1,270 pet owners, found that over 64 percent of the cats and dogs living together played together; 58 percent chased each other; and 41 percent fought. Almost two-thirds of the pets sometimes playfully “ambushed” the other.
The results found that cats were more likely to ignore dogs than vice versa, with 42 percent of cats ignoring their canine counterparts, and only 28 percent of dogs shunning the felines. Felines were also more likely to attack canines than the other way around.
Whether your pets will get to be best friends often depends on their introduction, which must be carried out slowly and mindfully. British animal charity Blue Cross says that a good introduction starts by making sure the pets have separate areas with everything they might need, water, food, a litter tray, and a safe place where to isolate when they need it.
Before you bring the new pet home, it is important that you go through the “scent swapping” phase, which can easily be done by exchanging each animal’s bedding, so they can start getting to know each other before even meeting.
Their interactions must be supervised until you are 100 percent sure they are comfortable with each other. Using treats or rewarding desired behaviors can help make this a positive experience for both pets.
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The video quickly went viral on social media and has so far received over 1.3 million views and more than 78,800 likes on the platform.
One user, DogCrazySherry, commented: “The cat will be the boss of them BOTH in no time!”
Jetblackjuju posted: “The betrayal on the pups faces’. I see live action cartoons in your near future.”
LonV added: “I love it when big dogs are just big babies.”
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.