Evolution of Dog and Kitten’s Friendship in Just 24 Hours Delights Internet

They say that first impressions last a lifetime, but after a shaky start, this golden retriever mix and rescue kitten were willing to put their differences aside to develop a budding friendship.

After hearing about a tiny rescue kitten that was found in the street, John Whitaker and his girlfriend Victoria Angel of Arlington, Virginia, had no reservations about offering him a loving home. There was one slight caveat however as the couple were already dog parents to Sadie, the 9-year-old golden retriever and chow mix.

Sadie has never displayed anything other than a loving and gentle temperament, but Whitaker, 29, told Newsweek that it would be her “first time being around a cat” and he didn’t know how she’d react. There was a substantial size difference between them, as the kitten, named Egg, was only a few months old and weighed less than a pound.

Indeed, their early interactions were cautious and somewhat hostile. Sadie, who “doesn’t understand personal space” tried her best to approach Egg, but the kitten wasn’t having any of it. Sadie knew she could win the kitten over eventually—he just needed 24 hours to get accustomed to his new normal.

“On the first day, Egg was scared of Sadie as she is about 80 times heavier than him. Sadie wants to be everyone’s best friend so there were plenty of times when Egg would run away, and Sadie would whine because she just wanted to make friends,” Whitaker said. “I was a little worried at first, but I knew that as long as Sadie was gentle with him, they’d get along. The biggest difficulty was making sure Sadie wasn’t too curious and gave him enough space.”

Their friendship certainly didn’t take long to form, because by the second day together, Whitaker spotted Egg making biscuits on Sadie’s underbelly.

Kneading, commonly known as making biscuits, is an instinctual behavior where cats repeatedly push their paws into a soft surface. It starts in kittenhood when they’re nursing, and they often continue this behavior to relieve stress, to tamp down bedding before sleeping, or to claim objects as their own. The website PetMD suggests that it can be a sign of affection when cats knead a person or another pet as it conveys a sense of security and comfort.

Since Egg was rescued in August, he and Sadie have come a long way, and Egg has grown so much that he’s now the one instigating the play fights and sneaking up on Sadie.

“Victoria and I are so in love with the relationship that Egg and Sadie have. They’re the sweetest little besties and play together every day,” Whitaker added.

The unlikely duo is always together, so when they’re not playing, they’re usually napping together or snacking on some food.

In a video posted to TikTok early last month, Whitaker, under the username @coolwhitaker, revealed the tense moment when Egg and Sadie first met, compared to footage of them just 24 hours later. The video delighted users, generating more than 1.1 million views and 162,300 likes on the social media platform. Whitaker hopes it will show people just how loving cats and dogs can be.

“We’ve had so many comments from people saying how adorable they are. I highly recommend adopting a pet as there are so many kittens and dogs out there waiting for a human to change their life for the better,” he told Newsweek.

The viral TikTok post has amassed over 640 comments so far, as many users hailed the unusual besties.

One TikTok user wrote: “If not friend, why friend shaped?”

Another posted: “This made my day. Thanks for sharing.”

And third user added: “That moved on with remarkable pace!”

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.