Cats are dogs aren’t meant to be BFFs, right? We’ve been conditioned to think that the two are on opposite sides of the spectrum. Cats are mean, detached, and reserved while dogs are fun, friendly, and warm. We’re pretty sure the two wouldn’t be caught dead hanging out or, God forbid, snuggling.
Contrary to what you might think, we’re aware that there are cats and dogs that grow up together and grow to adore each other – but that’s a different story.
When you spend 24/7 with someone you hate, chances are you’re going to uncover one or two redeeming qualities that make hanging out with them a little more bearable. We’re not saying cats and dogs hate each other from the get-go, but who knows?
Maybe they’re born to be enemies. Perhaps they’re conditioned to hate each other’s guts because they’re too different to tolerate each other. Whatever the case might be, there’s a reason why the “fighting like cats and dogs” stereotype exists.
But, there’s always a but when trying to understand anything related to animals. Cats and dogs aren’t meant to be BFFs; however, Rosie the cat and her three four-legged buddies Lilo, Infinity, and Miko beg to differ. Where do we even start?
Rosie was three weeks old when she was rescued off the streets and brought to a nearby rescue. Mini Cat Town, the rescue that the Good Samaritans opted for, proved to be the right choice. Now, the rescue was founded by three sisters Thi, Thoa, and Tram Bui.
What started as a desire to take care of the neighborhood strays led to TNR (trap, neuter, release), fostering, and a formation of a rescue with over 300 volunteers, 50 foster homes, and 7 dedicated board members.
Thi, Thoa, and Tram Bui focused on rehabilitating neonatal kittens, returning them to health, spaying/neutering them, and finding them a forever home. That was what the staff at Mini Cat Town planned on doing with Rosie, too, but things didn’t go as planned.
The poor thing was malnourished, lethargic, and dying when she arrived at the rescue and the staff didn’t know whether she would be better off staying there or going to a foster home. That’s when the sisters Thi, Thoa, and Tram Bui decided to take Rosie home with them to try to help her there.
They had three huskies at home, Lilo, Infinity, and Miko, and they thought that the kitten might be better off snuggling with a fluffy four-legged friend rather than a blanket. “She was weak and we weren’t sure whether she’d live through the night,” one of the sisters wrote on Instagram.
When Rosie the cat met Lilo the husky, everything changed. She was depressed, refused to eat, and wanted to sleep the entire time. She was limp whenever one of the sisters picked her up. She gave up on the thought of surviving.
When she started snuggling with Lilo, though, her demeanor completely changed. She calmed down, cuddled up to Lilo’s chest, and started suckling. Lilo didn’t think for a second and started breastfeeding her right away.
Rosie and Lilo were the perfect match from the get-go and the sisters knew that the kitten would pull through and survive with Lilo’s help. Lilo switched to “mom-mode” and started feeding Rosie, grooming her, and even taking her to the bathroom (a.k.a. her litter box).
Lilo became a surrogate and the sisters couldn’t believe how well the unlikely duo worked together. “Lilo never had her own puppies,” one of the sisters wrote on Instagram.
Lilo was never meant to be a mother, but she was clearly born for motherhood. Rosie became BFFs with the rest of the pack, but Lilo the husky was her love at first sight.
Lilo taught Rosie pretty much everything her mother was supposed to teach her – from grooming and sharpening her claws to walking on a leash and walking with a pack of husky dogs.
When Rosie grew bigger and stronger, she wanted to do everything with her buddies. She was more than willing to go to the park, run around the backyard, and allow Lilo to walk her on a leash. She thought she was a part of the pack, too.
We’re surprised she didn’t switch from meowing to barking when she started hanging out with her big brothers. Over time, Rosie started showing off her purrsonality more and more, and the three sisters were surprised to notice how “puppy-like” she was getting.
She was energetic, friendly, and fun-loving. She was trying to do everything the dogs were doing. She was demanding, too – she wanted the sisters to put a harness on her, take her on bike rides, and bring her to the park. Rosie’s spirit was big, but her legs were small.
She would go on walks with Lilo and the rest of the pack, but she would struggle to keep up with them after a little while. She would go on bike rides, too, but she would hold onto the basket while the dogs would run right next to the bikes.
She was a force to be reckoned with and the sisters started posting about her on Instagram. Lilo was already an Instagram star, but when the sisters added Rosie’s shenanigans to the type of content they were sharing, the duo took the Internet by storm.
Everybody was obsessed with them – the duo gathered almost half a million followers that were excited to see what they were up to every single day. Even though Rosie wasn’t a dog, she was over the moon to go on adventures with Lilo and the rest of the pack.
When we think back to the time when Rosie was three weeks old, struggling to survive, we can’t help but wonder “What would happen if she was never introduced to Lilo?” We’re sending Rosie, Lilo, and the rest of the crew lots of love!
