Injured Senior Dog Getting Massages From His Cat Brother Is Beyond Sweet

It's a common misconception that cats and dogs never get along. The videos that Amber Aquart has shared on her TikTok feed show just how wrong this belief is. Aquart is a certified animal trainer who shares her home with a whole menagerie of pets: cats River and Finn, and dogs Oakley and Whiskey. In a sweet TikTok video that's been viewed more than 28,000 times, River the cat repeatedly massaged and cuddled with Oakley the senior dog while purring.

@whiskeytoller

I had no idea at the time that he was doing so much more than just comforting him 😭🙏 After i posted the story of River massaging Oakley after his injury, everyone kept commenting about the frequency of a cat's purr being able to promote healing. What a magical thing that my cat River has been doing for his brother Oakley 🥹 #dogandcat #catanddog

♬ original sound – Whiskey Toller | Amber Aquart

Text overlaid on the video explained that River started doing these comforting behaviors while Whiskey was healing from an injury. "And then I learned that a cat's purring can actually promote healing," read the text. Aquart wrote in the video's caption: "What a magical thing that my cat River has been doing for his brother Oakley."

Viewers couldn't get enough of the cute pair of pets. "This is cross-species understanding," one person wrote, while another commented, "Animals always know when other pets need that little extra t.l.c ♥️♥️." After watching the video, it's easy to understand how dogs can bond with cats and how a cat and a dog can even become best friends.

There's no denying the magical feeling of a feline purr, but what does it actually mean when a cat purrs? The most common reason is contentment — while the cat is relaxing, being petted, eating a meal, kneading an owner's lap, lying in a sunbeam, or stretching out by a fireplace. Cats may also purr as a friendly greeting to a favorite person or as a way to get attention and indicate that it's time for a meal.

But cats purr for less positive reasons, too, such as when they're anxious, nervous, uncomfortable, stressed, scared, sick, or experiencing pain. Purring seems to be a self-soothing, pain-relieving behavior that releases endorphins. Purring may even promote healing: A purr's frequency is around 20 to 150 Hertz, and in therapeutic medicine, bone healing takes place at 25 to 50 Hertz, while soft tissues heal at 100 Hertz. Some cats also purr loudly when they're dying, which is known as the terminal purr.

Viewers of the TikTok video seemed to agree with Aquart that River knew what he was doing when he started purring and massaging Oakley. One person wrote, "They purr sometimes to show comfort and affection to other animals so I wonder if they know it helps others feel better."