They say cats and dogs fight like, well, cats and dogs but pet owners who have both know they can live together in peace and harmony. A clip now going viral on TikTok demonstrates this, as a dog gets his ears cleaned by a cat.
In the video, shared on Monday by the animals' owner under the username Spooonsman, the brown Labrador can be seen growling—but otherwise putting up with having his ears forcibly groomed.
Cats like to lick dogs' ears because they can smell the earwax inside, according to pet health experts. The wax is composed of dead skin cells from the ear canal and fatty acids and because cats are drawn to and survive on animal proteins, this combo is simply a source of protein to them.
Although earwax is not harmful to cats when ingested, your dog will likely not like having its ear licked, so if you see this happening, you should move the cat away or redirect its attention to a toy.
When cats groom each other they spend a good amount of time on each other's ears. This is not just because of the earwax, but because grooming forges stronger bonds between cats and their loved ones, which can even extend to the family dog.
The Spooonsman video has delighted TikTokers, quickly racking up 1.6 million views and more than 100,000 likes.
One user, KTSV23, commented: "The cat: your purring is extraordinary." Lorig972 joked: "Inside the cats thinking 'oh be quiet, you need a bath.'"
Another TikToker, xxxooocandy, added: "Cat totally oblivious to the danger lol." Carebear204 had a similar reaction, posting: "Cleaning that last nerve."
Theresa Pickering Bo didn't think the Labrador minded that much, writing: "I think he was growling because their private moment was being filmed."
GwaffMan said: "He doesn't like it but does like it."
Leannegrant1982 posted: "Bless him. I would be moving the cat poor dog."
Another user, ScoMag, focused on the background noise instead, writing: "The episode [of The Office] where Jim didn't want Karen to move on the same block as him."
Whodunitbandit added: "I thought the cat was about to lose one of his nine lives." Kidneystage4 pointed out: "He has beautiful teeth, lol."
Newsweek has reached out to Spooonsman for comment. We could not verify the details.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Maria Azzurra Volpe is a Newsweek Lifestyle Reporter based in London. Her focus is reporting on lifestyle and trends-related stories, ... Read more
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