Cat Says Goodbye to Dying Dog and 'Best Friend' in Heartbreaking Video

A heartbreaking video has captured the moment a cat enjoyed one final snuggle with her owner's dog before he sadly passed away.

It's often assumed that cats are aloof and largely solitary animals. However, there is plenty of evidence to the contrary, not least when it comes to their reactions to the loss of a loved one.

In 1996, a survey conducted by the ASPCA as part of a Companion Animal Mourning Project (via VCA Animal Hospitals) found 46 percent of cats experienced a decrease in appetite following the loss of a feline companion.

Many suffered sleep issues and, in some instances, changed where they slept in the house. Around 70 percent of cats reacting to a loss, meanwhile, exhibited different vocal patterns with some quieter and others were found to meow more.

While evidence charting feline reactions to the loss of a dog companion is scarce, Bunny the cat's response to the sad death of her "best friend" Tye goes some way to indicating that many of the same emotions are involved.

Tye and Bunny spent many happy years together having been adopted by Erica Kutzing, a Rescue Hospice Animal Caretaker residing in South Beach, New York, who has always been a firm believer in taking her work home with her.

Kutzing told Newsweek Tye was born with a condition called microphthalmia, a birth defect that meant he was "blind for his entire life." Despite this, he lived a full and varied life after being rescued by Kutzing.

"He came to work with me everyday and played effortlessly with other dogs," she said. "He helped me foster thousands of kittens and puppies and loved every single one. He was truly my soulmate."

According to Kutzing, despite the fact they were cat and dog, Bunny played a crucial role in helping Tye adjust to his new surroundings with the pair striking up a unique bond.

"I adopted them both within months of each other so they spent every single day of their lives together," she said. "Bunny loved to give Tye massages and sometimes would walk in front of him to guide him throughout the house."

One Last Goodbye

So, when Tye became ill and it became clear that he would not pull through, Kutzing felt it was important to let Bunny have one last goodbye with her "best friend."

"I had to let her say goodbye," Kutzing said. "I needed her to know what was happening." Kutzing captured that final encounter in a video that has been watched over 5 million times since it was first posted to TikTok.

In the clip, Bunny can be seen heading straight over to Tye, who is lying stricken on a couch. The unwell canine can barely move, but it doesn't matter, with Bunny putting in the work to show her four-legged friend just how much he meant to her.

Climbing up over to him, Bunny affectionately rubs her face against Tye's. It's as close as you are ever likely to get to seeing a cat and dog share a warm embrace and one that touched the hearts of millions watching online, with the video reducing many viewers to tears.

While the footage may have been heartbreaking, there was some comfort in the fact Tye passed away knowing Bunny, Kutzing and the rest of her family loved him.

Several months have passed since the video was filmed, but his loss is still keenly felt. "The void is immense and I still can't believe he's gone," Kutzing said. "I'm hoping over time I'll heal but I'll always miss my best friend."

She added: "Bunny didn't come into the living room for a while after he passed. You could tell that she couldn't bear to go in there."

Shortly after Tye's death, Kutzing bought another visually impaired puppy for Bunny to help raise. "I knew she needed a new baby to raise," she said. "Since then she's been much better. She's very bonded with the puppy and is doing all of the same behaviors."

But while life is gradually moving on, Kutzing said she will never forget Tye and would encourage other dog lovers to give a rescue pet a chance.

"A rescue animal is capable of taking you on a journey and sometimes it's a journey you never expected," she said. "Tye opened my world to special needs adoption and I had no idea the rewards that come from it. Because of him I will always and only adopt special needs pets."

"But any adoption is an amazing motivation to keep saving lives," she added. "Adopting isn't only saving one pet, it's opening up a spot for an animal that needs saving."