The sun shines upon a quiet town in Yorkshire, inviting all to enjoy the lovely rays of warmth. One such being emerges from its cool home, sniffing at the fresh air. The morning dew chilly against the toe beans, making it shake its paws in discontent. Soon it makes its way to its favorite half wall, to take in not only the sunshine, but also the loving embraces of passersby.
Today, however, the orange feline will receive a little more than it bargained for. When a tiny white pup’s face comes into its periphery, it will have to decide – is it friend or foe? The exchange will be witnessed by a curious neighbor, capturing it all for the world to witness.
There is little factual information available, dear reader; thus, I would like to introduce you to my creative writing skills, which I paid way too much for at university. I’m sure most of you would rather just watch the video and be done with it – you’ve got business to attend to or business to run away from. We stan a busy queen! Let’s get into it!
Cheyenne Tyler Berry captured one of the most wholesome introductions, as a man lifted his tiny pup to meet a friendly neighborhood feline
It is one of the happiest stories we’ve ever heard, and yet it started with something as dull as dishwashing. Some hate the activity so much they invest in a machine, called the dishwasher. Quite uninspiring if you ask me. It’s like naming your newborn child John. Nothing wrong with it, but are there not enough Johns in the world already?
But this story isn’t about John. It’s about Cheyenne Tyler Berry. She was doing the dishes. The dishwashing. Sud up your hands and get the surrounding area wet and flooded, because you might as well clean the countertops and floor too! In the meantime, don’t get distracted from the task at hand. The dishes.
She was washing dishes when she noticed the interaction taking place. An elderly man had stopped to pet a ginger cat sat upon a half wall, his pup by his side
Grab the sponge, moisten it up in the soapy water. Not too hot, not too cold. Don’t want third-degree burns, nor hypothermia. Which way are you gonna go: clockwise or anticlockwise? Maybe you don’t use a sponge, but a brush or a cloth instead. What’s the scent of your dishwashing liquid? So many ways to wash dishes; one must wonder if psychologists have looked into what that says about our personalities.
Look at that murky water, covering one dirty dish after another, baptizing away the sins that they once held. Such an important task requires one to take a break. They say the eyes are the window to the soul, but what would the window to the outside world show?
Before Cheyenne was an elderly man strolling peacefully down the sidewalk with his little white pooch in tow. The pair soon noticed a beautiful ginger cat perched upon a half wall, enjoying the surprisingly pleasant day in York, UK. Normally it’s raining cats and dogs, but on that day the two would be caught in less drab conditions.
The tiny white pup was getting very excited, but he couldn’t reach the cat himself, so his owner decided to lift him up, and thus, the cat and dog were eye to eye
The hidden onlooker recognized her neighbor’s ginger cat. Its name was George. The tiny pup was getting increasingly excited with each step they took closer to the feline. The two animals couldn’t have been more different. “[The pup] was jumping and getting excited,” Cheyenne told The Dodo, while the cat was observing the world with nonchalant stillness. The last thing on its agenda was a dog.
The man, being a polite gentleman, petted the cat to say hello, its soft fur grazing against his skin. The short exchange earned a purr, the feline seemingly enjoying the attention. But what kind of gentleman would he be if he didn’t allow the curious pup to make its acquaintance.
Interspecies communication can’t be easy, especially with the amount of propaganda being spread about kitties and puppies being sworn enemies. And it seems it could have ended that way this time too, as shown in the video which was captured by the onlooking Cheyenne. Hopefully, she remembered to turn the tap off beforehand.
Normally it’s raining cats and dogs in York, UK, but the cat named George and the pup named Ted were caught in less drab conditions, curiously examining one another
The man raised his pup to the cat’s eye level. The pup, following its owner’s actions, decided to paw at the cat, mayhaps in order to pet it himself, but the feline wasn’t as excited to receive such caresses. The cat raised its own paw, getting close to smacking some manners into the pup; however, no such violence was needed as the dog quickly understood it was stepping out of line.
With its paw landing on the cat’s soft belly, the pup ceased further movement, looking to the side and avoiding the feline’s intense gaze. A short moment of stillness followed, the two species seemingly pleased with each other. A moment when time stopped. The man, seeing the motionless stupor, lowered his four-legged companion back to the ground and gave the cat one last loving pet before moving on with his day.
Their meeting couldn’t have lasted longer than a minute, yet it would embed itself in the heart of Cheyenne for the rest of her life. “It made me tear up because I was shocked I got to see such a sweet moment in person,” she said. “I haven’t stopped smiling since.”
A few paws were raised, but soon the two animals fell into content stillness. Seeing it, the man took it as a sign they’d had enough interaction
She shared the video on TikTok back in October, 2021, and at the moment it sits with 7.7M views and 1.4M likes. What made this moment all the more special was the fact that the man found the video on TikTok and left a comment saying: “I should point out that I had petted the cat first and assessed how this might turn out. Ted is 4 months old and has been introduced to cats before.”
We finally knew the name of the pup – Ted. The man created a TikTok account named “Ted’s Dad” after the duo had been captured in action. Cheyenne replied: “Hope you enjoyed the video! Sorry if it’s intrusive but the moment was too sweet not to record! Glad it found its way to you! Ted is lovely.”
Two more neighbors came forth, saying: “This is the end of my street (York), sure that’s George the cat!” with the other recognizing the man himself: “This is my mam’s partner!” Community spirit was kindled and lots of happiness was brought forth, all thanks to Ted’s dad and the two tiny creatures.
Sadly for Cheyenne, she still had to do the dishes.
With one last loving caress on the cat, the man and his pup marched onwards, leaving Cheyenne crying in happiness, her heart full of wholesomeness
If you ever find yourself in the middle of interspecies communication, you’d best be prepared to be a mediator. Best Friends Resources provide a number of options to be considered. The main thing to remember – each cat and dog is different, thus their introduction style will differ. Same goes for humans too: you wouldn’t just go hugging and kissing every stranger you met on the street!
When introducing your dog to a cat, pay attention to the body language of both animals. If the cat’s ears are pinned back or his tail is swishing back and forth, this is a good indicator that he is displeased. If the dog is hyper-focused on the cat, making it stiffen, stare, and start barking or whining, then keep it away from the feline and follow one of their suggested options.
Option 1: Face-to-face introduction. Essentially what we saw happen in the story. One person controls the dog while they have their introduction, while also noting the cat’s mood. If the dog is calm around the cat, you can ask the dog to sit or lie down and stay, if it has been taught those cues, while the cat moves about freely, sniffing the dog if it wishes.
It was just what many needed to get their spirits up! We wish Ted, George, Ted’s dad and Cheyenne all the best!
But sometimes, the dog will be too fixated on the cat, seeing it as prey, or the cat may not wish to have pleasant introductions with something that smells funky, leading to offense in both parties. Teaching the dog to release its focus on the cat through treats and play is the way to go.
Option 2: Slow and steady desensitization by the gradual increase of exposure to one another. The idea is to separate them and only allow them to view each other during specific times. Normally that means having the cat live in one room and the dog in another, with a tall baby gate separating the two.
Through sharing meal times and getting used to each other’s smell over time, the dog will eventually become desensitized and lose interest in the cat, allowing them both to live in peace with one another. But the process may take hours or weeks. In any case – act upon observation.
She shared the video on TikTok and it currently sits at 7.7M views. You can watch the wonderful interaction here:
@turtlebackpackgirl caught this pure moment and I haven’t stopped smiling since 💖💗💕💝💓💘💞 #viral #dogsofttiktok #catsoftiktok
We wish Ted, Ted’s dad, George the cat, and Cheyenne all the best in their adventures. Although this is the end of the tale, I’m sure the memory of it will live on forever in the millions who bore witness to it.
Let us know what you thought of this story, and tell us – have you ever introduced a feline to a dog? How did it go? Can’t wait to read your stories, and for now, I bid you adieu!
