In a viral Reddit post, a pet owner shared a video of their dog’s hilarious way of playing with their little kitten, and internet users can’t cope with it.
The clip, shared in August by an account that has since been deleted, shows the dog playing with the kitty in a very animated way, engaging in behaviors like pawing, bumping, and gently grabbing the kitty’s head with her mouth.
“Is my cat OK with this or the next time should I stop her,” the poster asks in the caption.
Dr. Jamie Richardson, chief medical officer at Small Door Veterinary, told Newsweek that this behavior is actually not very unusual among pets, and by the way the kitten is reacting to the dog’s moves, it looks like he’s enjoying it too.
“Both the golden retriever and the kitten are engaging in reciprocal, playful behavior. Since they are initiating interactions with each other and showing no signs of fear, anxiety, or stress, this is typical inter-species play,” Richardson said.
Moreover, she added that the kitten in the clip appears comfortable and engaged. When a cat is bothered by someone’s behavior, they will show signs of avoidance, hissing, swatting, pinned-back ears, or attempts to escape.
According to Richardson, play between a large dog and a kitten can be very positive for bonding and enrichment, but must always be supervised. She said that because of the size difference, supervision is important to make sure the play doesn’t become too rough or overexcited, which could accidentally cause injury.
“This kind of interaction is valuable social enrichment for both animals and helps strengthen their bond. Continued supervised play will build trust and confidence in their relationship. As they grow, maintaining positive experiences together will support long-term harmony in the household,” she said.
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 27,000 upvotes and 3,400 comments.
One user, JellyPsychedelics09, commented: “The question is ‘will the dog be ok?’ I have seen so many dogs getting terrorized by cats lol.”
Boringboy1313 said: “If your cat wasn’t ok with it, it would be long gone or your dog would have claws in its nose.”
Sprinkle_Puff added: “The cat will tell the dog when enough is enough, even still I keep a watchful eye just so that the dog understands its size relative to the cats.”
Newsweek reached out to the poster for comment via Reddit. We could not verify the details of the case.
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.
Read the full article here
