A pet rat and a therapy dog have the cutest Instagram you've ever seen

 By   on 
Original image replaced with Mashable logo
Original image has been replaced. Credit: Mashable

Ok, so we all know that unlikely animal friendships are more likely to happen than you might think, but this mismatched pair is one of the strangest and cutest relationships we've ever seen.

That's right, somewhere in Chicago a 3-year-old Dutch Shepard therapy dog named Osiris is happily playing with a 3-month-old pet rat named Riff Rat.

Street rats have terrible reputations in urban areas, leading many to write off the idea of pet rats entirely as unsanitary and incomprehensible. However, breeder-bought pet rats, like Riff Rat, are actually pretty sensible pets for cramped city apartments. Their cages don't have to take up much floor space (most owners build their cages vertically, not horizontally), they spend most of their day cleaning themselves, and they keep themselves plenty occupied with cheap materials like cardboard tubes and empty tissue boxes.

Riff Rat and Osiris have proven themselves to be one of the most affectionate and trusting pairs ever caught on film--in several shots, Riff is shown placing almost his entire body inside Osiris's mouth so that he can clean his pal's teeth.

They snuggle, they play, they lick each other's faces--what's not to love?

[nggallery id=22536 layout=list title=top]

[wp_scm_comment]

BONUS: Menswear Dog's top fashion trends for pups

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!