Abandoned Dachshund ‘Adopts’ Paralyzed Cat [Video]

A dachshund and a paralyzed cat who were dumped together on the side of the road have become inseparable.

Their bond is so strong that Idgie the dachshund, age two, won’t leave the side of Ruth, a cat who can’t move her back legs. Idgie is fiercely protective of the seven-month old paraplegic cat and becomes visibly upset when they are separated.

In this instance, man’s best friend is also cat’s best friend.

Seminole County, Florida, Animal Services found them both in a box in October. They now are permanent residents of Hollywood Houndz Boutique and Spa — whose owner has fostered more than 1,000 pets — in nearby Lake Mary, where they happily live together in the same pen rather than fighting like cats and dogs. They were named for two characters from Fried Green Tomatoes.

An official with the state agency said of Ruth that “We actually don’t know what’s wrong with her. We think it may have been something she was born with. It was really a strange situation — both of them were found in fairly good shape, not filthy or malnourished, so it seems as though they probably had a home at some point. But on the flip side, no one came and claimed them, and how could the cat get very far without the owner knowing?”

Ruth has been treated with steroids and acupuncture, but her condition persists. According to Project Paws Facebook page, the cat’s illness may, however, be treatable. Another Facebook posting stated that “Ruth is a very happy girl. She crawls to her food bowl and uses her litter box. She is very playful and loves playing with Idgie or whatever toy is available. She doesn’t think there is anything wrong. We should all be this happy!!”

The Inquisitr has reported on other such examples of heartwarming bonding and loyalty between dogs or dogs and cats. For example, two stray Lab-pit bull mixes were recently found wandering the Philadelphia streets in October. They are devoted to each other, and one of them is blind. Then there is Eddie, a blind seven-year-old Lab in the UK who has his own guide dog companion in the form of Milo, a terrier mix, who acts as Eddie’s loyal eyes when they go outside to play. In another case in the UK, a dog who went blind from cataracts has a guide cat in the form of a stray feline that originally showed up on the owner’s doorstep. The two animals quickly became inseparable.

Here is another video about Idgie the dachshund and his friend Ruth, the paralyzed cat: