A one-eyed cat nuzzling the eyes of a blind golden retriever has melted hearts online, leading their owner to believe he was trying to fix them.
The adorable clip was shared on TikTok (@daredevilandfriends) by pet owner Alexandra Garland, who couldn’t help but marvel at her rescue cat and dog. Dangermouse, the 3-year-old cat, can be seen licking and gently nuzzling the eyes of Daredevil, a 4-year-old blind golden retriever.
Some might have thought the cat was just cleaning Daredevil’s eyes, but Garland, of Adelaide, Australia, told Newsweek that she believes it was “something more special than that.”
In her view, she thinks the cat was actually “trying to fix” Daredevil’s eyes.
“Dangermouse was licking around the eyes, purring strongly, and making sort of nuzzling actions towards his eyes,” Garland said. “A couple of people said he was just cleaning them, but I don’t think so. I clean Daredevil’s eyes regularly, so there’s no discharge or tears.
@daredevilandfriends / TikTok
“Dangermouse rubs up against Daredevil’s face and seems to understand his need for touch and sensory engagement. They bonded from the day I brought Dangermouse home, as he seemed to understand that Daredevil wouldn’t hurt him,” she continued.
Daredevil was born blind and was almost put down at 8 weeks old because the breeder didn’t think his life was worth living. That was when Garland stepped in and adopted him. Now, she ensures that Daredevil always feels loved, supported, and safe.
Not long after that, Garland also rescued Dangermouse, whose eye had to be removed at around 12 weeks old due to an infection.
Perhaps the reason why they get along so well is the understanding they have for each other. That’s certainly what Garland believes at least.
She said: “Cats often bond with Daredevil, but Dangermouse is the first other animal we’ve had with a vision impairment. It made me think it was more than just the usual cleaning. He was so focused on his eyes and seemed to know something needed extra attention.
“It’s hard to know on what level they understand the other’s impairment, but there’s definitely an understanding of some sort. Dangermouse never gets upset if Daredevil is boisterous and bounces into him, and they play on the same level,” Garland continued.
Due to his blindness, Daredevil gets scared or overwhelmed quite frequently, his owner said. As he can’t see what’s happening around him, it’s easy to get overstimulated by what he hears.
As for Dangermouse, having one eye means he’s not as agile and doesn’t have much depth perception. But thankfully they have each other and their owner usually finds them playing or napping together.
Garland often shares videos of the duo together on Daredevil’s social media account. The video of Dangermouse nudging his eyes lovingly has gone viral with over 826,500 views and more than 133,300 likes on TikTok at the time of writing.
The online response is beyond anything Garland anticipated, as she told Newsweek that the reaction is “overwhelmingly positive.”
She continued: “The best thing to come out of it has been people and parents telling me they or their kids are vision impaired, and they feel better or more confident because of his videos. That has made the whole thing so meaningful.”
Internet users have hailed the precious bond between the two animals, leading to more than 160 comments on the TikTok post so far.
One comment reads: “This love is just so beautiful. I love the compassion they have for each other, it puts us as humans to shame.”
Another TikTok user wrote: “the purring, he’s just trying to help.”
While another person added: “He’s healing his brother. We really don’t deserve animals.”
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