Rescued shy cheetah cub gets paired up with a playful puppy, and the two become instant best friends: 'The Labrador taught him that the world wasn't as scary as it seemed'

'Cats and dogs cannot be friends' is a total falsehood. Anyone who has looked at cat content as much as we has knows that for an absolute fact. Sure, it's more common for cats and dogs to misunderstand one another than to be friends, but that doesn't mean that they cannot be close. We have seen countless cats and dogs be friends, ignoring the differences between one another because that friendship is just that worth it. And yes, that friendship may be a bit silly sometimes, but what friendship is it.

Of course, we would like to say that cats are so pawsome that dogs can't help but bend over backwards to become their friends, but we can admit that is probably not completely true. Dogs are simply irresistable. To everyone. They are so cute and loving and persistent when they want to befriend someone, that eventually, everyone just kind of… caves. And cats are not excluded from that. And we mean all cats. 

We have seen a dog become best friends with a bobcat. We've seen a Rottweiler befriend a black panther. We've even seen a lion cub bond with a dachshund, despite their difference in behavior and in size. And of course, it is a known fact that sometimes, in zoos and in conservation centers, cheetah cubs are paired with golden retriever puppies as emotional support companions. 

The cheetahs, who are naturally shy and anxious, easily stressed by new environments, noises or people, and are generally less aggressive than many big cats find their purrfect friend in the confident, social, slightly hyperactive goldens. And it becomes the cheetahs' way of gaining some of that confidence for themselves, of learning to face their fears of the world with a friend. 

This is exactly what touyou are going to see in today's video, and if you thought that this sounded cute when we were describing it, then we don't know if you are ready to actually see the reality of these friendships. Cheetah cubs and golden retrievers are each adorable in their own right, but the two of them together, playful and happy… heart-meltingly cute.