Seeing his doggy brother with severe arthritis cannot play fetch by himself, a cat jumped in to lend a helping paw, melting viewers' hearts.
The 6-year-old Australian cattle dog, Blue, was first diagnosed with arthritis when he was nearing 3 years old. About one in five dogs suffers from canine arthritis, making everyday activities painful and commonly affecting the legs, hips and back, according to the American Kennel Club.
"He's slowly been declining and is not able to enjoy the things he used to as much," Blue's owner told Newsweek.
His owner, who manages the TikTok account @blue.the.bluey, continues to give Blue the best quality of life possible. He receives supplements during flare-ups and wears a special brace on his leg, and goes to laser therapy about once a month.
But it was bringing home a foster cat that helped make the most of Blue's days.
A July 30 TikTok video shows the tuxedo cat, Mr. Darcy, assisting in a game of fetch. Blue sat by the ball, ready for the game that helped him still feel like a normal dog. His owner threw it across the kitchen and into the other room.
Knowing his role, Mr. Darcy chased after the ball and stopped it from rolling any further. He looked back at his owner to give the green light, tagging Blue to come back in. It was Blue's time to shine. He walked over to retrieve the ball, and the two pets returned together for the next round.
The text on the video reads: "Teamwork makes the dream work."
Seeing the cat coming to Blue's rescue brought the owner to tears, especially since Mr. Darcy only came to live with them as a foster cat. But once she saw how these two bonded, there was no way she could let Mr. Darcy go.
A separate video explained that this cat quickly became a "foster fail." She adopted him, and the two pets have bonded even more.
Viewer Reactions
With over 605,800 views and 169,400 likes on TikTok as of Monday, people instantly fell head over heels for these furry besties.
"That's so cute. What a dynamic duo!" a viewer commented.
"Animals are so smart, they have so much empathy for each other," a TikTok user said.
"Awe, he is lucky to have a brother like that. And mom, you are awesome to stimulate him like that," another commenter wrote.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [email protected] with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.