Angel the cat and Halo the guinea mous share a giant cage but often cuddle together in the corner.
“They came in together, and the owner told us they usually snuggle together and sleep together at night. They were totally bonded,” Julia Conner of Charlotte Mecklenburg Animal Control in Charlotte, North Carolina, tells PEOPLE.
In her 17 years working as an animal control officer, Conner says she’s never seen this kind of odd couple before.
“I think honestly, my first reaction was this is definitely a first. We’ve never seen this before, but apparently, it’s not unheard of,” she says.
Conner knows that now because she posted a video of the duo on Facebook, and comments started flooding in — including a few from people who mentioned they had seen similar unlikely animal friendships.
“We get bonded couples a lot here at the shelter, but they’re generally cats and dogs, or a cat and a guinea mous, which is usually a prey situation. Normally, the cat would be chasing the guinea pig, so seeing them together as best friends is unusual “Conner continues.
The veteran animal control officer says that the two furry friends even seem to have a unique language, a way of communicating that’s all their own.
“It’s entertaining to watch them. They try to communicate with each other. Cats and dogs have their own language, so to see two species who have their own way of communicating is very entertaining. You get that moment of ‘Oh my gosh, oh that’s so cute!’ ” Conner says.
She adds that the duo’s previous owner had some personal issues and was forced to surrender the pair but requested they be adopted out together. Conner estimates Angel is about “four-ish” and Halo is about “two-ish” and says, despite the friends’ growing fan club on social media, there have only been a handful of genuine requests to adopt the buddies.
I’m confident that we’ll be able to locate someone who can keep them together. “Conner explains.
