Having a best friend is likely one of the most wonderful things in life. It is someone who understands you fully and accepts you unconditionally, forming a bond that cannot be easily broken.

One of the greatest parts about this is that being best friends is not limited to gender, race, age, or even species. For example, one woman shared how her dog and cat, despite being vastly different, became inseparable from the moment they met. Now, they can’t even go to sleep before going through their sweetest nightly routine. Scroll down to read the full story!

More info: TikTok

Everyone needs a close friend, and seeing that friendship unfold and flourish is one of the most beautiful sights

Image credits: jtwohawks

A woman adopted a dog named Tiger right after finishing high school, and 6 years later, she also got a cat named Akaiba

The very roots of this story go way back to 2010, when, right after her senior year of high school, Jean Munn, better known on TikTok as jtwohawks, adopted a 4-and-a-half-month-old pit mix pup named Tiger.

Tiger has always been loved and lived the kind of life some dogs could only dream of. However, little did she know that, around the 6th year of her life, when Jean decided to get a cat named Akaiba, everything would only get better.

Image credits: jtwohawks

The animals became inseparable almost from the moment they met, spending time together and taking care of each other

“Pretty much from the get-go, they were inseparable,” said jtwohawks in her reply video following her viral TikTok from a few days prior, which blew up to have over 1.1 million views and more than 216,000 likes in just a couple of weeks.

In the video, Akaiba and Tiger’s bond is depicted at its best. The dog comes over, requesting a ‘bath’ from the cat, and it is a favor that her friend never rejects. In fact, they’ve been in this routine for more or less the whole 8 years of their friendship.

“Tiger groomed Akaiba a lot as a kitten, and as soon as Akaiba grew up a little bit, she started returning the favor,” Jean shared in her interview with The Dodo, talking about how happy she is to see how much love her pets have for each other.

Image credits: jtwohawks

Image credits: jtwohawks

Their friendship became the sensation of the internet when the woman posted a video of Akaiba giving Tiger ‘a bath’, which is their nightly bedtime ritual

The two buddies share their space with another cat named Cali. “She’s got classic middle child syndrome,” wrote jtwohawks, replying to a commenter who pointed out that she was just sitting in the shadows behind Tiger and Akaiba during the video of their bedtime ritual.

While Tiger’s bond with Cali may not be as strong as with Akaiba, in her update video, the woman reassured us that they’re getting along great, too, sharing a couple of pics as proof.

Image credits: jtwohawks

Image credits: jtwohawks

Check out the full TikTok video:

@jtwohawks They are the sweetest pair. #pitbullsoftiktok #pitmix #catsanddogs ♬ Stuff We Did (from ‘Up’) – Piano Version – your movie soundtrack

Seeing animal friendships blossoming like this is honestly beautiful. But did you know that giving each other ‘a bath’ is more than just a sweet thing that friendly pets might do to one another? As animal behaviorist Julie Bond explained when Bored Panda reached out to her for an expert opinion, “Grooming is a very important behavior that animals engage in from both a cleanliness standpoint [and], more importantly, a social perspective.”

“Animals, in general, engage in affiliative grooming as a way to maintain alliances and relationships,” said the expert, talking about how elderly animals are often groomed by the younglings not only to assist the elders in maintaining coat and skin health but also to help hierarchically lower-ranking individuals gain status for helping others. “Plus, it is often the case that once one animal is groomed, they will turn around and reciprocate.”

Image credits: jtwohawks

However, when it comes to cats and dogs, even with all these heart-melting videos around, it’s not unusual for people to believe that they actually are enemies. So then, where does the idea that these animals hate each other come from? Could it be just pure fiction?

According to the animal behaviorist, this belief does hold a bit of truth, but it’s mostly just a stereotype that has been strongly reinforced by pop culture. “Generally speaking, dogs and cats raised together get along just fine. The question becomes whether they become friends or remain ‘roommates,’ sharing space but not really engaging one another,” explained Julie, adding that there definitely are instances of dogs and cats terrorizing each other for no good reason.

Image credits: jtwohawks

Both of these animals are predatory, but cats often fear dogs due to their size difference. During unexpected encounters between the two, these feline animals usually choose flight over fight, while canines, driven by the thrill of the chase, tend to run after. On the other hand, “Cats that do freeze and fight back are terrifying to dogs who end up with scratches to their face, nose, and even eyes, hence the phrase ‘fighting like cats and dogs.'”

However, this doesn’t have to define the relationship between these animals. Even if they start off on the wrong foot, dogs and cats can learn to curb their instinctive behavior toward each other. “It helps to reward both the dogs and the cats in a household for just being together, sharing space, even if they aren’t directly engaging one another. Over time, they may become closer simply because being in proximity got them rewarded in the past.”

Image credits: jtwohawks

Cats and dogs are often depicted as enemies thanks to pop culture, but in reality, there is hardly anything that could actually stop them from becoming friends

Of course, having these four-pawed buddies get along is very much possible. Of course, it may not always happen as effortlessly as it did with Tiger and Akaiba, but we’ve got a few tips that Kirstin Fawcett of Mental Floss shared that can help you in situations like these:

• Think about your pets’ personalities rather than their breeds.
• Train your dog to control impulses and give them enough exercise.
• Give the cat some personal territory first.
• Keep their toys and food separated.
• Let them smell each other’s things before the meeting.
• Plan their face-to-face introduction carefully and take it slow.
• Raise them together, if possible.

Image credits: jtwohawks

All in all, despite the myth created by pop culture, cats and dogs can get along perfectly fine. It’s true that not every encounter will follow the example of Akaiba and Tiger, but at the very least, these two buddies are proof that this kind of friendship is absolutely possible and is absolutely adorable when it occurs.

What did you think about this story? Do you know any other cats and dogs that get along this perfectly? Share it all in the comments below!

The commenters had their hearts melted by the wholesomeness of Akaiba and Tiger’s story

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