Depressed dog finds love with a litter of foster kittens

It’s a common stereotype that cats and dogs just don’t get a long. There’s even a children’s movie called “Cats & Dogs,” which pits the two against each other. And a rom-com (“The Truth About Cats & Dogs”). And, um, the actual phrase, “to fight like cats and dogs.”

But according to the Williams family of Utah, that wasn’t the case for Flora, their malamute, and Dexter, their 22-year-old cat. The family says the two pets were best friends. Check out this sweet shot of the pair cuddling up on Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BAX4AdlAEXh/?taken-by=florathemalamute

When Dexter passed away last year, the family was devastated to lose their beloved pet, who they had only adopted two years prior. But they weren’t the only ones who were having a hard time with the loss. Flora also became depressed without her feline friend. “Flora was beyond heartbroken,” Jill Williams told Mother Nature Network. “She spent many weeks outside, howling and depressed. It was really sad.”

To try and cheer her up after losing her companion, the Williams family adopted two young cats. Unfortunately, the new cats were not the cuddling type and did little to relieve Flora’s grief. What the family tried next did the trick, though. They decided to foster a litter of four kittens: Roxy, Iggy, Bowie and Glamour, and Flora took to them like a duck to water. Here she is with her new friends:

https://www.instagram.com/p/BXiDbMflNBr/?taken-by=florathemalamute

The family says the pets all got along right away. “Glamour climbed up Flora’s side, sniffing her ears and eyes. Flora just laid there with a big, squinty smile on her face. It was so cute,” Williams told People. “I truly think Flora is the kitten whisperer.” Check out the out the adorable video of Flora bonding with the tiny kittens:

Aww, how sweet! Flora doesn’t even seem to mind when one of the kittens nibbles on her tail. The kittens are now up for adoption so they can find their forever homes. However, the Williams family says they are planning on fostering a new group of kittens to keep Flora company.