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Despite not being humans, we often see our fuzzy friends as members of our family and household, who live under one roof, sharing good times and bad. So it shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone that some of our pets might start to act like the other animals in the home are basically their family as well.

People from across the internet share funny, cute, and adorable photos of pet pairs, from actual siblings to interspecies found-families. So get comfortable as you scroll through, upvote your favorites, and be sure to share your own thoughts and experiences in the comments section below. We also got in touch with Nina Thompson from the San Diego Humane Society to learn more.

#1 While On Holiday, My Sister Asked For A Picture Of Her Two Cats. This Is What She Got

Image credits: 0MoodIndigo0

#2 My Kitten Likes To “Hide” In This Jar, Her Brother Is Confused

Image credits: MyLittleGirl

#3 Little Help

Image credits: mdabdullahalmanik

Bored Panda got in touch with Nina Thompson from the San Diego Humane Society to learn a bit more about animal friendships and she was kind enough to answer some questions. “At San Diego Humane Society we witness a wide variety of animal friendships. One special case is a dog named Bunny, who came to us with her seven puppies as a stray in November of 2022. Once Bunny’s puppies were weaned and old enough to be adopted, it was Bunny’s turn to find a home.”

“However, without her puppies, Bunny’s behavior shifted and she became shut down. We sent her to a foster home to help her through this time, but even still she struggled. The foster’s child started giving Bunny stuffed animals for company and she would groom them and interact. So we found a young shelter puppy to send to foster with Bunny and she came to life! When that puppy was adopted we found her another new dog friend. Bunny has befriended many dogs during her time at the shelter, often with other shy dogs who also do well with dog friends.”

#4 I Heard A Scuffle, Then Silence

Brothers. What can you do.

Image credits: MarrGrimm

#5 Get A Sibling They Said, It Will Be Fun They Said

Image credits: liti22

#6 Shipper Has Already Had Enough Of His New Little Sister

Image credits: KipSo

“Bunny is currently in fostering with her latest pal, Johnny On The Spot. Bunny is required to go to a home with a social dog to be an emotional support for her. She’s been with the San Diego Humane Society for 425 days and is seeking the perfect home and dog friend. If you are interested in learning more about Bunny, here is a link to her adoption profile,” she shared with Bored Panda.

#7 My Sister’s Cats

Image credits: ObjectiveBeautiful79

#8 When Your Parents Make You Hang Out With The Annoying Kid

Image credits: Kshandoo

#9 Derp Husky Brothers, Meet Lupo, Lucky And Luca

Image credits: henana

“She also had some suggestions for readers who would like to help animals in need. “Shelters across the county, including San Diego Humane Society, are over capacity and struggling to keep up with the constant influx of animals. Most shelters are especially over capacity with large dogs. Here are some ways community members can help save animals:

Adopt: If you’re thinking about adding a pet to your family, San Diego Humane Society urges you to consider adoption first. By opening your home to a shelter pet, you give a deserving animal a second chance while creating critically needed space for other pets in need. Jan. 26-28, 2024, adoption fees will be 50% off for adult dogs at all San Diego Humane Society campuses. There are currently 240 adult dogs available for adoption at San Diego Humane Society.

Foster: With shelters facing space crises, fosters are more critical than ever. By temporarily opening your home to a pet, you give them a break from the shelter — and help preserve extremely strained shelter resources. Whether you choose to foster for a few days or weeks, it all makes a difference. At San Diego Humane Society, we provide all the supplies, you provide the safe space and love.”

#10 Typical Sibling Behavior

Image credits: vladgrinch

#11 I Couldn’t Get Another Dog, But I Managed To Find Him Another Friend

Image credits: PokeManiac16

#12 These Two Were Spotted In Sitka, Alaska

Image credits: Statertater

The classic animal love-hate relationship is between a dog and a cat. These two pets, stereotypically, are seen as so different that they can’t even help but annoy each other. The bubbly, friendly, clumsy, and overbearing dog, who just wants to play, with the aloof, “superior” and deeply proud cat is a match made in hell.

#13 Watching Netflix On The Couch, Felt One Of My Dogs Jump Up And Do The Circle Thing Then Lay Down. After A Few Minutes I Hear A “Sigh” And Look Up To See Them Like This

Image credits: Fairle

#14 The New Cat Taught The Old Cat To Eat Like This

Image credits: ViVilma

#15 Bought A New Bed For The Cats

Image credits: BYUNGHUT

However, this is more often the case when an older house cat has “its” space invaded by a new and very energetic puppy. In reality, cats and dogs often have been seen exhibiting signs of friendliness. In fact, this can go as far as dogs “adopting” certain cat behaviors. For example, researchers have observed cats and dogs performing “nose sniffing” which is a distinct cat behavior. This means that a dog has not only learned and observed this move but is willing to do it with its friend.

#16 Madeline And Isabelle – Sisters From Different Litters, Up To No Good

Image credits: iain01110011

#17 Sibling Love At It’s Finest

Image credits: withoutatres78

#18 Sibling Love

Image credits: beet111

The real reason why many animals form “unlikely” friendships with other beasts from different species stems from the same reason we have domesticated them in the first place. Domesticated animals have been selectively bred to be docile and generally friendly. After all, if a cow and a human can be “friends” then it’s by no means strange that a cow and a ram could do the same thing. After all, they probably share a lot more, from a love of grass to hoof fashion. Humans could never relate.

#19 My Kitties (Brothers, 10 Months) Are So Connected, They Always Do The Same Things

Image credits: animabot

#20 The Shelter Has Made A Rule That These Siblings Must Be Adopted Together Because They Are Inseparable. They Sleep This Way Every Night

Image credits: TieDyeSky

#21 My Friend’s Golden Retriever Has Taken Quite A Shine To His Feathered Siblings

Image credits: TechnoGlobeTrotter

Interestingly, even less likely pairings can work in the right situations. In the San Diego Zoo, a timber wolf and two goats seemed to be play buddies, racing each other around back and forth by the fence that separated them. For scientific reasons, it could be interesting to see how they might interact without the fence, although the goats might not be the biggest fans of this idea.

#22 Does Anybody Else’s Pit Bull Do This To Their Siblings? It’s A Daily Occurrence For This One

Image credits: SuspiciousFrenchFry

#23 Don’t Get A Kitten And A Husky They Said

Image credits: MJTree

#24 Ear Chewing, Weekend Edition

Image credits: pepsiandco

More relatably, many animals form interspecies friendships because, simply put, they are social creatures and love to hang out. Ironically, butterflies are not really social butterflies, compared to the generally less pretty ants and termites out there. However, mammals and avians are the most common groups that develop friendships and hang around each other.

#25 They Slept Together Like This All Night Long

Image credits: MinimumPositive

#26 Best Friend Hug

Image credits: sunsetshanti

#27 Sebastien Recently Got A New Little Sister

Image credits: Beaugeek

That being said, even some insects do interact with other species in a mutually beneficial way. While they might not be friends who hang out and play together, ants and aphids have been observed to interact with each other for food. Ants ward off predators by stationing warriors near them, like a sort of private security. Aphids, in turn, allow ants to collect some of their sweet secretions to use as food.

#28 New Brothers Meeting For The First Time

Image credits: lilredisking

#29 My Parents Found A Kitten And Our Rottweiler Found A New Friend To Look After

Image credits: Mustangrapidred

#30 Our Kitten Found A Cozy Spot In-Between His New Brother And Sister

Image credits: emilbeans

#31 Meet Lola And Tobi, Six-Month-Old Brother And Sister

Image credits: Sythanachan

#32 Rocco Had Surgery Today And His Siblings Offered No Support, Just Judgement

Image credits: techycat16

#33 You Can See It In Her Eyes How Annoyed She Is That The Cat Stole Her Bed

Image credits: reddit.com

#34 This Big Brother Helps His Baby Sister Use The Dog Door. He Stands There And Lets The Baby Go Through His Legs

Image credits: bkrees

#35 Lottie, Your Sister Is Not A Seat

Image credits: Dress-Good

#36 The Extremely Rare Two-Headed Two-Butted Dog

Image credits: biteybunny

#37 It Doesn’t Get Any Cuter Than These Two Cuddle Buddies

Image credits: sisurefuge

#38 Phil Has Always Liked To Be The Little Spoon

Image credits: estherthewonderpig

#39 That One Annoying Sibling

Image credits: pinacoladapuff

#40 Colin And Mango In A Supportive Embrace

Image credits: zannobanano

#41 My Sister’s Cat Was Lonely, So They Got Another Kitten. I Think They’re Getting Along Just Fine

Image credits: toxicjc

#42 My Pitbull Is Obsessed With Our Cat And Annoys Him Constantly. Last Night I Caught Her In The Act

Image credits: bottlefed97

#43 We Brought Home A Puppy And Someone Is Not Amused

Image credits: angiexxn

#44 This Snow Cone Tastes Funny

Image credits: kittenxlady

#45 Big Henry Squashing His Brother

Image credits: cheeseburgercats

#46 “Can You Hear Me Now?”

Image credits: Bean_Burrito2000

#47 They Really Are Siblings

Image credits: BobbiMoo

#48 Thirsty Sisters

Image credits: Puzzled_MJ

#49 This Kitten Showed Up On My Porch A Couple Of Weeks Ago. At First, I Was Worried About How He’d Get Along With My Older Cats, But Judging By This Face She’s Only Slightly Annoyed

Image credits: JohnnyPotseed

#50 When Your Parents Make You Go To Your Little Brother’s Birthday Party

Image credits: CreamDutch

#51 Autumn Has Been Teaching Her Brother A Thing Or Two

Image credits: AJKWEC

#52 Siblings

Image credits: WrinklyDog1

#53 Have You Ever Hung Around Siblings Who Are A Little Too Affectionate?

Image credits: a-manda_hugandkiss

#54 Hard To Beat Those Costco Two-Packs, What A Bargain

Image credits: Trently22

#55 Practically Twins. Just Look At Those Ears

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#56 Murph Hiding From Margot

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#57 This Is Higgins And Benson, Two Brothers, Who Like To Hang Around When I Do The Dishes

Image credits: kattvakt

#58 My Mastiff Got A Little Sister. He Is Definitely In Love With Her

Image credits: hawker25

#59 I Was Trying To Take A Nice Photo Of My Cat, But Then His Brother Suddenly Photobombed Him

Image credits: ilmazziere

#60 I Would Like To Introduce To You Frank And Bean

Bean is the one in the back, she’s especially strange. Talks all the time, shows me her belly, does not want to be touched, and dedicated to keeping me company in the bathroom. Frank is twice her size. They are siblings.