A video showcasing a rottweiler puppy's first encounter with his owner's kittens has delighted viewers online, despite things going slightly off the rails during the meeting.
In a clip posted to TikTok by Juggernaut Rottweilers, a private rottweiler breeding kennel in Snohomish, Washington, an 8-week-old pup is shown meeting a litter of 8-week-old kittens in what looks like a family home.
"Lots of people ask if a Rottweiler will do good with cats," a caption accompanying the footage reads. "That typically depends on the cat it seems."
It's often said that cats and dogs simply cannot get along with each other. Cats are seen as aloof, solitary animals while dogs are more affectionate and have a penchant for chasing smaller animals.
Yet the idea that the two cannot live together peacefully, side by side, has been debunked by at least one study. In 2020, research published in the online journal PLOS One looked at the habits of cats and dogs living alongside each other.
The study had 1,270 pet owners with both a cat and a dog complete questionnaires on their pets' day-to-day habits. While the results reaffirmed much of the personality traits associated with the two species, they also highlighted the fact that a significant proportion of cats and dogs peacefully coexisted.
Of the pet owners quizzed, 64 percent said their cats and dogs played together at least sometimes. Around 58 percent said they slept next to each other at least sometimes.
More interesting still, 11 percent of pet owners reported that their cats and dogs slept side by side every night.
All of which suggests there could be hope for a long and lasting friendship between this particular rottweiler pup and his kitten companions. Things have gotten off to a shaky start, though, if the video posted to TikTok is to be believed.
In the clip, the rottweiler can be seen sniffing around after evidently detecting an unknown scent. At this point, the two kittens visible in the video remain standoffish, prompting the puppy to back away in search of fun elsewhere. But the young dog eventually returns, walking close by the two cats.
Once again, his interest is firmly rebuffed, with the ginger kitten visible in the video letting out a hiss that makes it abundantly clear the puppy is not welcome. The video then cuts to the dog and ginger kitten near each other at the foot of their owner. Again, the canine attempts to initiate contact, only to be warded off with yet another hiss.
At one point later in the video, the two kittens can be seen meowing at the puppy as they walk past. The dog stops and starts to go over but again thinks better of it. Despite keeping a little distance, the pet owner behind the TikTok account is adamant that the cats "really want to be friends" and that is why they remain relatively close by.
Ultimately, though, the hisses continue every time the puppy gets close to any of the kittens, which puts the canine off from further interactions. The situation begins to calm down once the dog has been picked up by one of its human companions, with the kittens gathering around the armchair where she is sitting.
It may not have quite gone to plan, but the video showing the interaction between the tiny pup and his kitten housemates proved popular. It's already been viewed over 800,000 times, with viewers gushing at the cuteness of it all.
"This is TOO CUTE," one wrote, with another commenting: "OMG! Cuteness overload."
A third viewer urged the puppy to "be patient with your furball siblings" adding that "they ALL need cuddles." A fourth encouraged the pet owners to "put their food bowls in the same room and feed them at the same time so the cats can associate him to something good."
Others seemed confident that all the pets would soon be getting on famously. "They'll be cuddling and rough housing soon," one said. "I have a kitty and a rottie and they're like brothers now."
Newsweek has contacted Juggernaut Rottweilers for comment.
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.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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