Emi uploaded a photo of the pair, named Ozzy and Smudge, to Reddit‘s Aww forum, as she said: “My big dog and tiny foster kitten adore each other.”
The snap shows the canine, half golden retriever and half Bernese mountain dog, protectively standing over the ball of black fluff
Emi, from California, told Newsweek two-year-old Ozzy had immediately taken to tiny Smudge, acting in a “maternal” way.
She said: “We weren’t really worried about Ozzy hurting Smudge—I was a little worried that he might accidentally step on him, but we supervise all their interactions and he’s pretty careful.
“The first time they met, Smudge was in my hands so we took it slow to see how Smudge would react and let them take it at their own pace. I think with all foster you want to make sure that they have good experiences with any pets and people that you have in your home.”
Emi described the pooch, who weighs in at 85 lbs, as a “super friendly, goofy, and gentle giant,” and his caring side was part of his personality.
“I’m not surprised that Ozzy is being such a mother hen—he’s really emotionally intuitive and loves other animals.
“It’s really cute and heartwarming to see him take so much care and try so hard to be gentle and sweet with Smudge. I hope that we can keep it up with other fosters!” she added.
And he has his work cut out for him with the bundle of energy, who they temporarily named Smudge and Emi first fostered a few weeks ago.
She raved: “Smudge is SO bold! He’s a very adventurous kitten and completely fearless. As you can tell from the photo, he’s got a lot of spunk and I think that offsets Ozzy’s relaxed nature really well.”
Emi explained they fostered Smudge from their local humane society, saying: “We started fostering him a couple weeks ago when he was still nursing from a bottle, and Ozzy took a liking to him right away.
“He would watch me feed him, try to lick him to groom him, and let him play with his ears and paws.
“He’s definitely taken on a motherly role with Smudge and will come get me if Smudge is crying for food, they follow each other around and don’t like to be far from each other.
“It was truly an instant connection and Smudge was completely fearless with this giant dog! He immediately wanted to play with him and would bat at his nose and try to catch his tail.”
After seeing the touching bond the pair have developed, Emi, who also has an older cat, said she was “definitely tempted” to keep Smudge. She admitted: “He will make such a great addition to a family (I really hope he goes to a home with a patient dog!)”
She admitted: “I’ve never seen a kitten who is so fearless and bold with Ozzy.”
The Reddit post, shared on Tuesday, amassed nearly 40,000 upvotes on the site, as people fell in love with the pair.
Saltandtitties joked: “Foster my ass. That kitten ain’t going anywhere.”
Moratnz thought: “The human fostered it; the dog adopted.”
Ell20 said: “Welp, I guess you own another cat now.”
Illiterateclutches26 gushed: “They gonna be bestfriend forever soon.”
K0cksuck3r69 raved: “I love the possessive paw on the dog’s paw, so adorable!”
Ren_dc joked: “That’s not a foster kitten. That’s your dog’s new best friend…”
While Jean2800 asked: “So your dog has a cat now?!”
While Emi has a success story regarding her animals, that’s not always the case when cats and dogs meet.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) Reunite, which helps lost pets find their owners, shared tips when introducing a new animal into a home with existing pets.
When bringing in a cat, they advised setting up a separate room with food and litter, as well as spraying a synthetic hormone, called Feliway, to help the cat acclimatize.
They said: “Spraying this product around the cats ‘safe room’ may help him/her settle into their new home. For the first day, your cat should stay in this room and only interact with your dog under a closed door.
“The second day take your dog out of the house (on a long walk or trip to the beach!) and allow your cat to explore the house under supervision. Use toys to encourage exploring beyond the safe room. When your dog returns put your cat back in the safe room.
“Allow your dog to smell where the cat has been and interact with the cat under the door. Repeat this process for another day and if possible, allow your cat several hours to explore the house.”
On the third day the site advised allowing the cat and dog to meet, ideally through a screen door, and to slowly build the relationship until they’re comfortable with each other.
