Moment 13-Year-Old Labrador Turns Over New Leaf With Son's Cat

A cat's determination to befriend the family's senior dog slowly paid off, as the Labrador has turned over a new leaf. Ben Glaudemans said that Bella, his family's 13-year-old Labrador, has never been one to play with other dogs. He attributes this to the fact when Bella was a pup, the family's other dog, Bailey, didn't love having her around. Bailey was around the same age Bella is now, and if Bella was too playful, Bailey would growl. Bailey wanted her space. Even though the two dogs were together for only about a year, Glaudemans believes it stuck with Bella. Now, the family's son has introduced his Bengal cat, Ravioli, to Bella, he told Newsweek, and it's bringing flashbacks to the relationship between the family's two dogs over a decade ago. Except Ravioli is not giving up, and he continues to go near Bella, as seen in a March 23 TikTok video posted to the account @ravioli.the.bengal. In the clip, Bella was resting on her dog bed when Ravioli inched closer. Bella, who is not used to other animals in the house, was confused about why the cat was near her. She left to get some space. But Ravioli kept trying, only to be greeted with Bella growling and showing her teeth.

To an outsider that might look nerve-racking, but Glaudemans said that Bella would never hurt a fly. If he was even 1 percent concerned about the safety of either pet, he would not keep them together, he said. Plus, this wasn't the first time they met. Glaudemans followed the recommended method of introducing dogs and cats nearly a year ago when he first got Ravioli. The Animal Humane Society suggests keeping a cat and dog in separate rooms for a few days to have them get used to each other. From there, owners might want to feed the animals on opposite sides of a door. As they get comfortable, have them look at each other through a gate or glass door. Owners can slowly proceed with face-to-face meetings. Sessions should be kept short and positive and always monitored. Ravioli warmed up immediately, but Glaudemans said he's always been used to dogs as he befriended doggy neighbors. And now Ravioli is unfazed by Bella's reactions. "He's just a cat, unbothered in all aspects of life," Glaudemans said. As for Bella, she's getting better and is used to having Ravioli around, especially since they are spending more time at the family's house in Maryland. "Now that I'm home more, I make more of an effort to get them to gel," Glaudemans said. The two are turning a corner. Bella lets Ravioli sit near her on the dog bed. In another clip, Ravioli grooms Bella, and although Bella seems confused, she lets it happen. The two will even get the zoomies at the same time. "She'll go in circles wagging her tail, and Ravi will run around and jump off of her," Glaudemans said.

'Slowly but Surely'

Ravioli's determination has captured viewers' hearts. The TikTok clip has been viewed over 1.5 million times, with 181,800 likes and 418 comments. "I get it Ravioli. There's something about an old grouchy dog that we can't stop loving!" commented one viewer. Another added: "Ravioli is like, 'Got 9 lives doggo, I'll spend them all on you!'" "Slowly but surely," wrote a third. Viewers are confident that their relationship is only going to flourish from here on out. 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.