Despite not being humans, we often see our fuzzy friends as members of our family and household, who live under one roof, sharing good times and bad. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that some of our pets might start to act like the other animals in the home are basically their family as well.
People from across the internet share funny, cute, and adorable photos of pet pairs, from actual siblings to interspecies found-families. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites, and be sure to share your own thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. We also got in touch with Nina Thompson from the San Diego Humane Society to learn more.
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Best Picture I Could Ever Hope To Get Of These Two
Sorry to burst some bubbles but PLEASE don't allow your pets to hang out the window of a moving vehicle. One pebble, bug, or blade of grass and your pet loses an eye. Window down just a bit too low? You're one hard braking from that pet flying out onto the road and dying. Love your pet. Protect your pet.
Is this one not photoshopped? The lighting looks very different on thr cat compared to the dog
That's because the cat is completely in the car while the dog stretches his head out of the window
Load More Replies...If that isn't blown up HUGE and framed on your wall, I will be very sad.
The Shelter Has Made A Rule That These Siblings Must Be Adopted Together Because They Are Inseparable. They Sleep This Way Every Night
"Bonded pairs." Got a couple of bros myself. They're like human twins. Except they don't look at all alike. And they're furry. I basically only meant they scheme together and watch out for each other and the sort.
I have a pair just like that but that is because our ginger tabbie became mom to grey tabbie named "Screamer" by the humane society because he has been found abandoned at only 3 weeks old and screamed when left alone. Over 6 years later and they still cuddle like that.
This Big Brother Helps His Baby Sister Use The Dog Door. He Stands There And Lets The Baby Go Through His Legs
We once had a cat that somehow taught his best buddy, our GSDxDobe, to open the refrigerator door. We had to keep the kitchen door shut after that for a long time. They never figured out how to open that one though I did catch them trying from time to time.
We dog board upon occasion so when a new dog comes through that doesn't know how to use a dog door, our dog Max shows them and then shows pride when they figure it out. He's also a wonderful welcoming committee with new dogs that come to our house.
Bored Panda got in touch with Nina Thompson from the San Diego Humane Society to learn a bit more about animal friendships and she was kind enough to answer some questions. “At San Diego Humane Society we witness a wide variety of animal friendships. One special case is a dog named Bunny, who came to us with her seven puppies as a stray in November of 2022. Once Bunny’s puppies were weaned and old enough to be adopted, it was Bunny's turn to find a home.”
“However, without her puppies, Bunny's behavior shifted and she became shut down. We sent her to a foster home to help her through this time, but even still she struggled. The foster's child started giving Bunny stuffed animals for company and she would groom them and interact. So we found a young shelter puppy to send to foster with Bunny and she came to life! When that puppy was adopted we found her another new dog friend. Bunny has befriended many dogs during her time at the shelter, often with other shy dogs who also do well with dog friends.”
My Parents Found A Kitten And Our Rottweiler Found A New Friend To Look After
That is a ball of floof, not a kitten! 1 sneeze from that pupper and the floof will blow away!
Look, the Rottweiler has already lost his bed to the nano fur...🤭...I hope they are both doing well...🐈⬛ 🖖🏽 🐕
"Cat pup gives me ouchies on snoot. Still must protect cat pup at all times."
They Slept Together Like This All Night Long
Our Kitten Found A Cozy Spot In-Between His New Brother And Sister
No need, little one will just lie on top of the other two
Load More Replies...“Bunny is currently in fostering with her latest pal, Johnny On The Spot. Bunny is required to go to a home with a social dog to be an emotional support for her. She's been with the San Diego Humane Society for 425 days and is seeking the perfect home and dog friend. If you are interested in learning more about Bunny, here is a link to her adoption profile,” she shared with Bored Panda.
I Heard A Scuffle, Then Silence
Brothers. What can you do.
Its called fart face and the brother being sat on is smelling something foul 🙈
My dog is getting a little sister in four weeks. I hope he treats her well. She's a mini Aussie just like him, but projected to be smaller. He better be nice!
Don’t Get A Kitten And A Husky They Said
Practically Twins. Just Look At Those Ears
I follow Sammy and his family on IG . they rescie dogs from around europe,
“She also had some suggestions for readers who would like to help animals in need. “Shelters across the county, including San Diego Humane Society, are over capacity and struggling to keep up with the constant influx of animals. Most shelters are especially over capacity with large dogs. Here are some ways community members can help save animals:
Adopt: If you’re thinking about adding a pet to your family, San Diego Humane Society urges you to consider adoption first. By opening your home to a shelter pet, you give a deserving animal a second chance while creating critically needed space for other pets in need. Jan. 26-28, 2024, adoption fees will be 50% off for adult dogs at all San Diego Humane Society campuses. There are currently 240 adult dogs available for adoption at San Diego Humane Society.
Foster: With shelters facing space crises, fosters are more critical than ever. By temporarily opening your home to a pet, you give them a break from the shelter — and help preserve extremely strained shelter resources. Whether you choose to foster for a few days or weeks, it all makes a difference. At San Diego Humane Society, we provide all the supplies, you provide the safe space and love.”
My Kitties (Brothers, 10 Months) Are So Connected, They Always Do The Same Things
I don't see any cats, just oddly colored shrimps. Either way very cute. Good shrimps
While On Holiday, My Sister Asked For A Picture Of Her Two Cats. This Is What She Got
Autumn Has Been Teaching Her Brother A Thing Or Two
I see they’ve mastered the “how to look adorable whilst begging for treats” pose
The classic animal love-hate relationship is between a dog and a cat. These two pets, stereotypically, are seen as so different that they can’t even help but annoy each other. The bubbly, friendly, clumsy, and overbearing dog, who just wants to play, with the aloof, “superior” and deeply proud cat is a match made in hell.
Typical Sibling Behavior
My Friend Runs An Animal Temp House. This Is Usually How Young Fluffs Look Up To Their Older Temporary Sister, Who's Clearly Had Enough Of Their Shenanigans
What else can you do! Huh? Huh? CN I do it too? Me too? Quiet! If they hear you i will never be able to show you anything else!!
These Two Siblings Have Been Inseparable Since We Adopted Them
I wish my two liked each other this much. Mostly they just give each other dirty looks.
However, this is more often the case when an older house cat has “its” space invaded by a new and very energetic puppy. In reality, cats and dogs often have been seen exhibiting signs of friendliness. In fact, this can go as far as dogs “adopting” certain cat behaviors. For example, researchers have observed cats and dogs performing “nose sniffing” which is a distinct cat behavior. This means that a dog has not only learned and observed this move but is willing to do it with its friend.
Madeline And Isabelle - Sisters From Different Litters, Up To No Good
I just keep thinking of that Disney song about the Siamese cats we are siamese if you please we are siamese if you don't please
When Your Parents Make You Hang Out With The Annoying Kid
Oh, did my face say that out loud? (eye roll)
Load More Replies...Aww people are misunderstanding cats in this one, that's not an annoyed face for cats. The ears are calmly forward, whiskers relaxed, eyes semi closed, that's one cool kitty just enjoying the moment ❤️
My Friend's Golden Retriever Has Taken Quite A Shine To His Feathered Siblings
My Aussie was like this with our chickens. He spends most of the daylight with them outside (his choice he has a dog door.) We call them, "his chimkens"
The real reason why many animals form “unlikely” friendships with other beasts from different species stems from the same reason we have domesticated them in the first place. Domesticated animals have been selectively bred to be docile and generally friendly. After all, if a cow and a human can be “friends” then it’s by no means strange that a cow and a ram could do the same thing. After all, they probably share a lot more, from a love of grass to hoof fashion. Humans could never relate.
My Sister's Cat Was Lonely, So They Got Another Kitten. I Think They’re Getting Along Just Fine
I Was Trying To Take A Nice Photo Of My Cat, But Then His Brother Suddenly Photobombed Him
Haha. The one in the background totally looks like a teenager about to, or having just rolled their eyes.
The New Cat Taught The Old Cat To Eat Like This
Soooo sweet! One of my dogs eats like this, she has mobility issues. Whatever makes her comfortable.
Load More Replies...Interestingly, even less likely pairings can work in the right situations. In the San Diego Zoo, a timber wolf and two goats seemed to be play buddies, racing each other around back and forth by the fence that separated them. For scientific reasons, it could be interesting to see how they might interact without the fence, although the goats might not be the biggest fans of this idea.
Bought A New Bed For The Cats
Meet Lola And Tobi, Six-Month-Old Brother And Sister
Just Look At Her Eyes After The Boop
Me after my friend tells me something really juicy about the guy I hate
More relatably, many animals form interspecies friendships because, simply put, they are social creatures and love to hang out. Ironically, butterflies are not really social butterflies, compared to the generally less pretty ants and termites out there. However, mammals and avians are the most common groups that develop friendships and hang around each other.
My Kitten Likes To "Hide" In This Jar, Her Brother Is Confused
wait until they get a lil bigger... and get stuck cause they ain't as smol as they used to be.
My Mastiff Got A Little Sister. He Is Definitely In Love With Her
Colin And Mango In A Supportive Embrace
I'm guessing the cat decided the dog bed was theirs so doggo had to shrink himself to fit.
That being said, even some insects do interact with other species in a mutually beneficial way. While they might not be friends who hang out and play together, ants and aphids have been observed to interact with each other for food. Ants ward off predators by stationing warriors near them, like a sort of private security. Aphids, in turn, allow ants to collect some of their sweet secretions to use as food.
New Brothers Meeting For The First Time
Hi! Don’t be afraid! Some people think I am big and scary but I’m really not! I am only pretending to look up at you! !!
Get A Sibling They Said, It Will Be Fun They Said
The one on top has such a sweet vacuous smile, having no idea that when the big guy has had enough, there will be hell to pay.
My Dad Built My Sister's Cats Bunk Beds, And They Actually Use Them
Adopted A Cat, But Left Her Brother. A Few Days Later I Had To Go Back And Get Him Too
I regret it so much I only took one cat. Should there be a next time I will take siblings, or buddies.
Load More Replies..."You Are Showing Me Affection, And Yet, The Concept Baffles Me!"
My New Puppy Admires The Heck Out Of Her Older Brother
Shipper Has Already Had Enough Of His New Little Sister
Siblings
Sibling Love At It's Finest
but mom said I could stay in the box for 15 minutes!!!!!
Load More Replies...This Kitten Showed Up On My Porch A Couple Of Weeks Ago. At First, I Was Worried About How He’d Get Along With My Older Cats, But Judging By This Face She’s Only Slightly Annoyed
Best Friend Hug
Ohhhh that dog looks so similar to my old girl who's not around anymore.
It Doesn't Get Any Cuter Than These Two Cuddle Buddies
Sebastien Recently Got A New Little Sister
This is exactly how our two cats react lol. Our new kitten always attacks his older sister but she's a lot less cool than the black cat, she just meows angrily and runs away
Derp Husky Brothers, Meet Lupo, Lucky And Luca
I Couldn’t Get Another Dog, But I Managed To Find Him Another Friend
New Best Friend
Sibling Love
Have You Ever Hung Around Siblings Who Are A Little Too Affectionate?
Ear Chewing, Weekend Edition
These Two Were Spotted In Sitka, Alaska
My Pitbull Is Obsessed With Our Cat And Annoys Him Constantly. Last Night I Caught Her In The Act
my Pittie Belle adored cats.. had more than a few BFFs until her super BFF Zoid disappeared... then she was so depressed even Delta couldn't get her to love on her.. her daughter Dolly is afraid of cats.. they so want to bff her too
My Dog Meets Her New Sibling
You did what? You got another dog? And you didn't even discuss it with me?
Little Help
Yep. Agreed that it's AI. The cat is hovering on the dog, the jar looks weird (fake) but not as much as the utensils on the counter.
The dog bones in the jar are bigger than the cat! It definitely looks like an AI photo.
Load More Replies...photo shoped it looks like the cat was pasted on top of the dog
Yeah this is definitely photoshopped but it when you first look at it it looks like it could possibly be real but once you take some time to focus on any single object it just doesn't make sense each single object that stands out has some of its own unique flaws that can't be explained
Watching Netflix On The Couch, Felt One Of My Dogs Jump Up And Do The Circle Thing Then Lay Down. After A Few Minutes I Hear A "Sigh" And Look Up To See Them Like This
Hmm... I wonder which one sighed. The bottom one out of resignation, or the top one out of comfort.
I Think Plum Likes His New Little Brother Fig
They Really Are Siblings
I Would Like To Introduce To You Frank And Bean
Bean is the one in the back, she's especially strange. Talks all the time, shows me her belly, does not want to be touched, and dedicated to keeping me company in the bathroom. Frank is twice her size. They are siblings.
Beefie was born without a brain, but he's twice as big as his little sister Sushi...🤷🏽
This Snow Cone Tastes Funny
Hard To Beat Those Costco Two-Packs, What A Bargain
Tell me you haven't been patiently lying in wait for 47 days to finally release the shutter‽ 🤨
This Is Higgins And Benson, Two Brothers, Who Like To Hang Around When I Do The Dishes
They want to know why you are washing the dishes without their "assistance".
Diesel Is Not Amused
white and black dog: me singing Hatsune Miku songs that don't go with the dance I'm doing brown dog: my brother getting angry that I'm doing dances that don't go with the song and they are super cringe dances
Phil Has Always Liked To Be The Little Spoon
That's Ester the Wonder Pig. She passed away not long ago. Her Dads adopter her when she was tiny being told she was a mini pig. She was not, so they opened up a sanctuary and now they have all kinds of animals.
That's good news! (Not that Ester passed away, obviously, but that they opend a sanctuary) I really hate the whole "mini pig" thing as it's always a lie, and results in many malnourished and then abandoned piggies
Load More Replies...You Can See It In Her Eyes How Annoyed She Is That The Cat Stole Her Bed
My Sister's Cats
Ah, the old 'If you lean a mattress against the wall they will come.'
Rocco Had Surgery Today And His Siblings Offered No Support, Just Judgement
The siblings are scared of the vet smell on Rocco, they'll be more supportive when he smells like home again.
That's why I always take both Beefie and Sushi to the vet...they act as emotional support siblings for each other...🤷🏽 🤗
Load More Replies...Big Henry Squashing His Brother
What A Cute Family
My Older Cat With My New Kitten. I Was Afraid They Wouldn't Get Along
Brother And Sister Exploring The Linen Closet
The Warmest Place In The House
When I House-Sat For My Sister, Her Dogs Were Very Happy To See Me
My New Kitten, Jackie Daytona, Likes To Lay On His Sister
My 11-Year-Old Dog Reacting To Having A New Puppy In The House
Chaos Comforting His Brother Diesel During These Scary Storms Today
We Adopted A Kitten. Our Older Cat Is Not Amused
The Extremely Rare Two-Headed Two-Butted Dog
The Yin And Yang Brothers - Cosmo And Leo
Thirsty Sisters
My Foster Kitten Was Annoying My Cat So He Put Her In A Headlock Until She Calmed Down Enough To Groom Her
Our New Kitten Has Laid Claim Over Her New Big Brother
We Rescued A Golden Retriever Who Loves Cats. Tiger Isn't Amused
Murph Hiding From Margot
Bunk Beds
A Handsome Lad And His Creepin' Sister
Brother Blep
"Who, Me? I Wasn't Doing Anything Wrong, Trust Me. What's That? Why Am I Suspiciously Smiling? And Why This Annoyed Look On My Brother's Face? I Have No Idea What You're Talking About, Mommy"
Everyone Has A Role In Life. Sometimes It Is Being A Pillow For Your Sibling
Orange Cat’s Name Is Dexter. New Kitten Annoys Him When He Eats, So We Named Her Dee Dee
Lottie, Your Sister Is Not A Seat
Rorschach Blot Or Two Bonded Dogs?
We Brought Home A Puppy And Someone Is Not Amused
Got These Two To Sit Still For Once
Great accomplishment! And my I compliment you on the wisdom of getting dogs that match the color of your carpet. No visible shedding!
Perfect Christmas photo! I would cajole and bribe mine but they would never pose like this.
Today, After Weeks Of Careful Seduction, My Dog Was Finally Able To Win The Heart Of My Cat, Only To Lay As The Big Spoon, Completely Frozen In What Looks Like Terror And Confusion
"Shhh! Nobody Asked You!"
My Girlfriend Got A New Kitten. The Resident Cat Is Not Amused
When Your Parents Make You Go To Your Little Brother's Birthday Party
When Both Of These Dogs Are My Two Moods
Their Afternoon Nap Is The Cutest Thing Ever
Fighting Siblings
Luke, Mike And Michell Are Really Living Life
My Cat Thinks He's A Professional Wrestler. My Other Cat Is Less Amused
Trust it to be a ginger! My non-ginger cats sometimes have the same resigned expression!
The Goofy And The Serious Sibling
The Chair Belongs To The Tabby Cat. The White Cat Got It First, And The Tabby Decided To Share It
Tabby is slowly inching onto the chair whilst simultaneously pushing White out of the way.
My Two New Cats - Dio And Jojo. Dio Is The Black And White Cat, And Jojo Is The Grey Tabby
SODO CHI NO SADAME...JOOOOOOOOJO! Also for God's sake never have a collar that tight!
That One Annoying Sibling
My Sister Got A New Kitten. Looks Like She Should Have Consulted With Her Cat First
Younger Sibling
“Can You Hear Me Now?”
You can see the age on the black pupper's nose. Maybe she is a little deaf.
My Cat Doesn't Seem Too Sure Of His New Sibling
Bunny will definitely be the boss. The cat may well leave home…
Someone Isn’t So Sure About Their New Sister
Sibling's Right
Does Anybody Else’s Pit Bull Do This To Their Siblings? It’s A Daily Occurrence For This One
My house hippo would sit on my lap like that whenever I sat on the floor. He was a lovable goofball.
Mine used to sit on us . Not sure if we were being guarded or held prisoner. Definitely an act of love! They are the sweetest.
What Strange Creatures Brothers Are
I Have 4 Cat Trees, But The Only Place He Wants To Sit Is On His Brother
What Having A Younger Sibling Is Like
Sometimes You Are So Hungry, You Want To Eat Your Siblings
My older dog was considered unsocializable by the shelter and my family was told we could never have another dog with him. We have two dogs now and they love each other.
My older dog was considered unsocializable by the shelter and my family was told we could never have another dog with him. We have two dogs now and they love each other.
