Special Moment Between Cat and Puppy Captured: 'A Renaissance Painting'

A cat's introduction to his owner's new puppy could not have gone much better.

Footage posted to TikTok under the handle luluthevizslabeagle captured the moment a senior cat by the name of Dexter appeared to welcome Lulu the Vizsla Beagle puppy into the family with open paws.

In the video, which has already been watched over 2.9 million times, Dexter can be seen reaching out to touch the napping pup. It's almost as if the two pets are holding hands or Dexter is reaching out with an olive branch on the adorable clip.

"When we weren't sure if Dexter would like a new puppy," the accompanying caption reads. "Caught this moment."

You can watch the heartwarming coming together here.

The footage adds more weight to the claim that, despite suggestions to the contrary, cats and dogs are more than capable of living in harmony.

It's a fact that was previously highlighted in a 2020 study published in the journal PLOS One, which saw over 1,270 people who had both a cat and a dog questioned on how their pets cohabitate.

Over 64 percent of respondents said that their cats and dogs not only lived together in harmony but also played together. The study revealed that 68.5 percent found that their cats and dogs "at least occasionally" slept alongside one another.

Dexter and Lulu certainly appear well on their way to becoming firm friends, if the footage posted online by their human companion is to be believed.

The blossoming connection between the two pets sparked much discussion in the comments section accompanying the video.

"This is a Renaissance painting," one viewer declared with another writing: "Please, this is too cute." A third joked: "If someone asks me what the Sistine Chapel painting is, I'm showing them this" while a fourth added: "Your cat owns the dog now."

Others, meanwhile, were left feeling very emotional by it all. "Tears just rolled down my face," one user admitted with another confessing "this made me cry."

Some, however, saw it as a gesture of hope for the future or, as one TikTok viewer put it, "the creation of friendship."

Whatever the interpretation, it looks like Dexter and Lulu have the foundations of a wonderful friendship.

This isn't the first time a cat and dog went viral after striking up a unique bond. A video charting the evolution of a playful friendship between a dog and a young cat previously proved popular.

Elsewhere, a video documenting the relationship between a cat called Lamu and a border collie named Moose proved similarly popular. Then there was the cat who only wanted to be friends with her owner's dog on her own, unique terms.

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.