German Shepherd Caught Playing Fetch With Kittens: 'Best Big Brother'

A dog called Bodhi has delighted viewers after a video of him playing gently with his new kitten friends went viral on social media.

The video, shared on TikTok by his owner under the username Louisandlestatcats, shows the German shepherd gently throwing his little brothers, Louis and Lestat, a ball, trying to teach them how to play fetch on the sofa.

It came with a caption that read: "Two weeks in and we're already here, this dog loves his new kitties," followed by: "Introducing Bodhi, the best big brother German shepherd, he's so good with the kitties."

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC), despite popular belief dogs and cats can live together in harmony. While most dogs, if socialized properly, can get along with cats, some breeds, like toy dogs, are better suited for living with felines than others.

The AKC's list of dogs that usually live peacefully with cats includes basset hounds, beagles, bulldogs, cavalier King Charles spaniels, collies, golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, papillons, and pugs, among others.

As for German shepherds, VetPetGuide says that they can be good with cats if both pets have been trained, socialized, and cared for enough.

Their website read: "When introducing your pets to each other, it's worth considering the size difference, territorial instincts, and training requirements. Training is vital for the animals and humans alike."

The video of Bodhi quickly gained popularity on social media, attracting animal lovers from all over, and has received over 207,500 views and 19,200 likes so far.

One user, DnA, commented: "He's throwing the ball for them." And Natalie said: "Omg his ears flopped over, so focused!!" illbeinthebed wrote: "he's the sweetest!" And Sumrlovn added: "Those PERFECTLY FLOPPY EARS OF POSITIVE PERFECTION."

17jkertcher wrote: "Omg!! that's so adorable the German Shepherd playing with his buddy." And Luna Alex795 added: "Needs to teach a master class, how to play [with] kittens."

Another user, Jacqueline Robins393, commented: "I Absolutely love this so beautiful he's so gentle and sweet." And Kylo the werewolf dog said: "dogs and cats living together and loving each other!?!? Blasphemy!!!! [us humans need to be like this to one another]."

Mish wrote: "Oh this is beautiful could watch this all day." And Cat333 added: "How sweet they are playing together. I'm going to cry now." This too shall pass said: "If you ever feel down just watch this."

Newsweek reached out to Louisandlestatcats for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.