Tiny lion cub who was abandoned by his mother gets paired up with the sweetest Labrador foster mom, and the two become instant best friends: 'She looked at [the cub] and didn't see a lion, she saw one of hers'

"Man's nest friend" is apparently a saying that applies to big cats too. 

Everyone knows that dogs are so ridiculously friendly. It's one of the things that they are the most known for, actually. Man's best friend. Of course, as cat people, we think that this is slightly discriminatory against cats, who are our purrsonal best friends. But alas, we accept it. Because it's accurate. Because dogs have the ability to befriend literally anything that moves. Dogs will become best friends with ducks, with rabbits, with chicks, with foxes, with parrots… Basically every animal that you can think of, a dog has likely befriended in the past. 

Even cats, who are so, so different than dogs - in their behavior, in their interpretations of other creatures' behaviors - cannot withstand canine cuteness. Cats and dogs hating one another is something that everyone knows, that every child learns, but it's not true. Because of dogs. Because of how persistent they are. Cats and dogs can be best friends. It's just a matter of patience from both sides. It's not impossible for a cat to initiate a friendship with a dog, but it is rare. Cats are wary of creatures they don't understand, especially ones whose behavioral cues are opposite to theirs. 

This is true not just for house cats. Since dogs have this ability to get along with anything and everything, they also become really good friends with animals that are a little less… domestic. We're talking about animals that most people would never expect to see snuggling up to a dog, let alone treating one like family. But sometimes, those friendships happen in the most unexpected circumstances.

Take today's story, for example. A tiny lion cub who was abandoned by his mother. He needed the same thing that every baby animal needs: someone to care for him. A mom. Someone who would keep him safe, give him affection, and help him feel a little less alone in a world that is suddenly a lot bigger and scarier than it was before. 

Putting him with other lions was not an option. He was too small, too fragile, not quite "lion" enough yet. And so, the vets around him started thinking about options, and the best option of the bunch turned out to be… a Labrador. 

At first, they were unsure about whether this connection would succeed or not. The dog had never interacted with lions before, and the lions knew nothing about dogs. But this is something that has been done before. Cheetah cubs get paired with dogs often - to help them socialize. And the vets knew that. So, they took a chance. And apparently, the Labrador didn't need much convincing. 

A baby is a baby, and if one needs a little extra care, well, somebody has to do it. The two became instant best friends. The little Lab took the lion cub under her wing and raised it as if he was one of her own, giving him a chance at real happiness in this world.