An unlikely friendship between an orange cat and a pet tortoise has warmed hearts among internet users after their owner shared their story in a viral TikTok video.
Juno and Woody have been inseparable ever since meeting, and their relationship only grows closer with time. The viral clip, shared on Wednesday, under the username @junothetort, shows the feline, Woody, gently playing with his tortoise sibling, who seems just as happy to be around him.
“The story of my baby tortoise and cat,” the poster says in the clip, “The first day Juno came home, Woody was obsessed form the start. Was there for every single morning bath.
“They started to get closer, and wouldn’t leave each others’ side. The famous ‘happy Woody stretches’ started becoming a daily thing. He’d always sit and wait for Juno to come out for play time. They began kissing each other on the nose. And now … They’re inseparable.” The caption says: “A friendship like no other.”
Cats are known for hunting small creatures, but this doesn’t mean that they cannot peacefully live with them. Dr. Roy Cruzen says in a Pet MD article that domestication makes this possible.
Cruzen adds that, while, in the wild, predators need to hunt for survival, when their basic needs are cared for by their owners and the need to hunt is mostly for entertainment, it is sometimes possible for cats and prey species to live together.
Pets such as rabbits, ferrets, tortoises, and even guinea pigs are likely the best choice when it comes to living with a cat. It is very important to supervise their interactions even when they get along, as a peaceful coexistence is never guaranteed.
Caring for a tortoise is not quite the same as doing so for a cat. According to Dr. Melissa Magnuson, veterinarian at All Pets Veterinary Hospital, the ideal habitat for your tortoise depends on their particular species, and the more closely you can simulate their natural habitat, the happier they will be.
Generally, a small tortoise will be fine with a glass aquarium, a small children’s wading pool, or a custom-built wooden enclosure.
As reptiles, tortoises aren’t able to regulate their own body temperature, and so they will also need a heat lamp placed in one side of their enclosure, so they can move between the colder and hotter spots as they please.
Tortoises are vegetarians, and so their diet should consist of approximately 80 percent of fresh greens, 10 percent fresh vegetables, and 10 percent fresh fruits. You can read more about tortoise care here.
The video quickly went viral on social media and has so far received over 939,000 views and more than 121,000 likes on the platform.
One user, Maaz Khan, commented: “Am I the only one thinking about how long turtles live and one day he will lose his best friend.”
Caitlin Emery posted: “Literally just had my baby 3 days ago and my hormones are all over the place and this has made me ball my eye out. It’s so adorable.”
Rose added: “I’ve never seen such a chilled ginger cat.”
Newsweek reached out to @junothetort for comment via TikTok comments. 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.
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