The best friendships are the most unexpected ones, and this adorable moment between a tiny kitten and a donkey is enough to warm anyone’s heart.
In a cute video posted to TikTok from Shriver Funny Farm, a donkey and a kitten bonded together in a sweet and tender moment. In the video, the donkey leaned down to sniff at the tiny kitten. Meanwhile, the kitten did its own investigation and sniffed the donkey as well, making it look like the pair were giving each other little nose bumps.
The cute moment had users absolutely obsessed with the “wholesome” moment between the most unlikely pair of friends.
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A few users even compared them to Donkey and Puss in Boots from Shrek, with one user even commenting a photo of the characters.
Other users loved the sweet moment, with another user writing, “They’re going to be besties 🥰.” Another added, “Animals are so pure.”
One other user mused that they “wish I had a barn just to have barn cats” that would befriend the other farm animals.
All about the unexpected animal friendships
Unlikely bonds and friendships between different animal species are more common than you may think, especially on a farm.
According to BBC Earth, animals that especially live in close quarters together will “turn to each other for entertainment if companions from their own species are thin on the ground.”
So a friendship between a donkey and a kitten is not as far-fetched as it may seem at first glance.
But donkeys, especially, are known to be intelligent and sentient, with strong social bonds and a gentle nature, according to the World Animal Protection organization. Donkeys also have a sharp sense of smell, which helps them understand their surroundings and even bond with other animals.
Like donkeys, cats, notorious for their curiosity, also use their sense of smell to understand their surroundings. PetCareRX reveals that a kitten’s sense of smell fully develops at four weeks. As kittens, they will rely on smell and their other senses to understand the world around them until their sight is fully developed at five weeks.
Related: Baby Donkey’s Precious First Meeting With Mini Cows Is Simply the Best
This story was originally published by PetHelpful on Feb 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Pet News section. Add PetHelpful as a Preferred Source by clicking here.