AROUND THE WORLD
These cross-species best pals are proof that love knows no bounds and can come in all shapes, sizes and forms.
Touching friendships between unlikely pairs of fur-iends.
BUCKET THE COW AND COLTON THE DOG (@LITTLEBUCKETSFARMSANCTUARY)
Life on a farm can get crowded at times, but Bucket the cow and Colton the rescue dog have gotten along like two peas in a pod ever since Bucket the Jersey calf was rescued from an auction in March last year. “He was at most a day old,” says Susan. “Nobody wanted to bid for him and the auctioneer looked straight at me, so I brought him home for $10.” Bucket and Colton were inseparable from the day they met at the farm—even though there was a fence between them, they were already going nose to nose, curious and intrigued. When placed side by side, the duo started walking around and hanging out together! “Bucket would just lay down and Colton would come to sit beside her,” says Susan with a laugh.
Now, the unlikely pair spends their days chasing each other around the farm. Colton loves to go for Bucket’s floppy ears, but the friendly cow doesn’t mind. In fact, he’d often flop on the ground just so the frisky dog can reach his ears better! Susan shares: “It was almost like they’d known each other forever. There were no questions asked in their friendship. It was just there.”
MISSY THE BUNNY AND SMUDGE THE CAT (@JMU_BUNNY)
Smudge the five-year-old domestic shorthair cat loves to play rough and often lunges at his paw-rent’s arm or hand, but with his best friend, Missy the one-year-old Holland Lop bunny, he’s incredibly gentle and always grooms her with tender loving care.
These two adorable furkids don’t live in the same household—Missy stays with her paw-rent, Tara Riley, at James Madison University while Smudge lives with Tara’s parents back at home. However, whenever Tara goes back home to visit, she will bring fluffy Missy with her and that’s when the two best buddies are reunited! “Missy loves to be groomed by Smudge and she’ll cuddle up to her to receive kisses,” says Tara. “She’s obsessed with him
and will chase him around until he finally agrees to cuddle her.”
From the moment Tara first brought Missy home last June, the little critter ran everywhere in the house, unafraid and eager to explore. “Smudge was watching her, but he wasn’t so sure what she was. But she wasn’t afraid at all and even hopped up to him! Then, he started licking her, and she loved it.” Whenever they’re together, they take it right where they left off with each other. They spend their days chasing each other around the house, cuddling, and taking naps on the bed together.
LOLA THE KING CHARLES SPANIEL AND PEPPER THE BUNNY (@LOLATHECAVIE)
Even before Lola the King Charles Spaniel contracted syringomyelia, a rare disorder where a cyst forms within your spinal cord, she was already best buds with her bunny pal, Pepper. Their favourite things to do together include running up and down the stairs in sync, hiding under baskets, cuddling, and grooming each other.
When Lola developed syringomyelia last August, kind Pepper never left her side. “It’s a really painful disease, and on really bad days, Pepper seemed to know that Lola needed her,” says their paw-rent, Courtney Donaker. “We actually decreased her pain medication because she seemed to be getting better just by snuggling with Pepper.” Once, Lola was whining because of the intense pain and Pepper hopped over to Lola and started rubbing her nose all over Lola’s face. After that, Lola calmed down and fell asleep—Courtney adds that Pepper seemed to be the only thing that was able to calm her down.
When they’re not snuggling on the couch, Pepper and Lola love to go to the park. Surprisingly, the tiny critter is the boss in the friendship and will always lead the way when they’re outside. The curious pair will often get in trouble by ripping toilet paper and eating it. Courtney shares: “They definitely adore being around each other. Pepper wants to be with Lola all the time.”
JONATHON THE RACCOON AND ROXY THE DOG (@JONATHONTHERACCOON)
Jonathon the Raccoon was only four-months-old when he was left in a sewer after his mother was knocked over by a car. Fortunately, Shannon Calvert found the baby raccoon and took him home, and that’s when their 12-year-old Chocolate Labrador Roxie took him under her wing. If he’s not following Roxie around the house, he’ll try to ride her like a horse. They would get into tug-of-war fights over a soft toy, pick up leftover kibble from the kitchen floor, and play hide-and-seek around the house.
“When they sleep, Jonathon often sneaks up behind Roxie and lightly pats her,” shares Shannon. “She loves it and she’ll stand up to play with him.” Jonathon would often shower kisses on Roxie’s head, and the patient pooch would let him. It’s like a true fur-mily—they pose for Christmas and Thanksgiving pictures together and on hot summer days, the furry pair lounges in the makeshift pool in the backyard, complete with strawberries and bananas, just like best friends would.