Cat Nuzzles Sheep, Paws at His Fluffy Wool in Adorable Video
A viral video of a sheep named Waffles being massaged by a cat named Luci has gone viral, proving the phrase "never work with children or animals" might be only half-true.
As a farmyard animal and pet cat, the duo create the perfect formula for a viral clip and the outcome lives up to that expectation. The clip, which is shown on ViralHog's Facebook page, has been viewed over 14 million times after being uploaded last week, May 4. Luci, the 1-year-old American shorthair cat, can be seen sitting upon Waffles, a 3-year-old Tunis mix sheep, pawing the sheep's back.
Viewers have been taken back by the adorable video, with one Twitter user calling it a "wonderful light relief from all that is happening right now."
One Facebook viewer commented, "I've never wanted to be a sheep so bad. I miss my kitty at home."
"This is such an enjoyable scene, you can almost feel the enjoyment of both animals," added another.
While one viewer even suggested a 24/7 webcam be set up to watch the pair, "like that fireplace channel on TV."
The video is owned by McKenna Ray and her husband Payton, who live in Memphis, Tennessee. Although you'd be forgiven for assuming the pair own a farm, it's simply their home which they dub their own "personal petting zoo," according to an interview with Daily Paws.
"We have two horses, one cow, one sheep, two goats, three ducks, one cat, and three dogs," she said. "Each and everyone of them is so spoiled."
McKenna Ray told Daily Paws they rescued Luci the cat just after Waffles lost her sister Maple in 2020, and that the two animals found peace with one another. "They're best friends," said McKenna Ray. "They eat and play together, so it only makes sense that they would nap together, too."
What makes the viral video that much more adorable is the story behind the "massaging." What Luci the cat is doing is actually called kneading, and according to the Blue Cross, indicates that a cat is comfortable.
The main cause of kneading in cats is thought to be an instinctive habit from feeding as a kitten. When kittens feed, they paw at their mother's stomach to encourage milk flow. Thus, kneading indicates the cat is being reminded of how they felt with their mother.
Luci and Waffles will have tough competition to become the best animal duo viral video though, with a video of a meerkat riding a tortoise taking over Twitter just last week too.
If 35 seconds of cute animal wasn't enough, one woman shared a just-as-adorable video of her dogs praying before their food. Meanwhile, a dog was also recently caught stealing a reporter's microphone on live TV.
