A rescue dog, Martin, was not always the only dog in the family. He used to have a sister – a Labrador Retriever pup named Alma – but sadly, she crossed the rainbow bridge.
Dogs often form strong emotional bonds with their humans, but also their animal companions. It is also possible for dogs to display signs of grief when a loved one passes away, whether it is a human or another pet.
When Alma passed away, Martin was definitely depressed and lonely.
Until, one day, a little furry creature walked into his world and helped him mend his broken heart.
Love At First Sight
“He went through some depression because Alma wasn’t here anymore. He was really lonely and sad,” Emilia Ivan, Martin’s mom, told The Dodo.
Emilia and her boyfriend tried everything to cheer Martin up, but he was simply inconsolable.
Coincidentally, their friend happened to find an abandoned, young kitten in the field nearby without its mother or siblings.
The kitten was very young, and she needed someone to bottle-feed her in order to survive.
As soon as they heard about the kitten in need of a home, they knew they had to help.
Long story short, they adopted the kitten and made her a part of their little family.
At first, they were a bit worried how Martin would handle the kitten, especially since he hadn’t been around one before.
Yet, as soon as the two creatures encountered each other, their worries started to fade away.
“The first night they met, it was love at first sight,” Emilia said.
As soon as the little kitten touched Martin’s paw, he started to give her lots of wet kisses and warm snuggles. It was truly like love at first sight.
Enthralled by the interaction, the couple’s hearts filled with love for their pets.
Emilia posted a video of her dog’s first contact with the new kitten, saying: “She’s his new toy”.
Watch the video here:
@emiliaivan15 She s his new toy #fyp #catsanddogsoftiktok #catsoftiktok #dogsoftiktok #loveatfirstsight #toy #fypromania🇷🇴🇷🇴 ♬ original sound – Emilia Ivan
The More, The Merrier
Roughly a month later, Emilia’s boyfriend found another kitten on the street, and they couldn’t resist adopting it, too.
The kittens wasted no time playfully interacting with each other, exhibiting a sisterly bond. The crazy thing was they even looked almost identical.
Being the good boy that he is, Martin promptly extended a warm welcome to the other kitten as well.
“He pays a lot of attention to them and takes care of them. He behaves like he’s their mother, and they’re his daughters,” Emilia said.
Having kittens around the house and taking care of them helped Martin overcome his depression and loneliness.
“He almost seems grateful for them. I’ve always loved Martin, but now when I see him taking care of the kittens, how careful and playful he is with them… it’s magical,” Emilia said.
@emiliaivan15 What is love? Even though Martin (the dog) was pissed by Noa, he didn’t leave her side. Martin was growling at her in the backround, but you can’t hear it because of this new and amazing song #nevernotsundaycomp #fyp #foryoupage #fypromania #fypro #cats #catsoftiktok #dogsoftiktok #dogs ♬ Never Not Sunday – Tom Rosenthal
Through hugs and kisses, this heartwarming story of sweet Martin and his two kittens reminds us of the incredible healing power found in companionship.
With a little bit of love and affection, even the most damaged heart can be mended.