From babies to mid-teens to all grown up, these animal friendships share everything from blankets, toys, car seats, beds, food, play dates and a lifetime of love.
Life can’t get any better when you grow up with your best friend by your side. Animal friendships are the best friendships.
We have collected some of the best animal friendships that show before and after pictures of animals growing up together. These pictures are either cute, nostalgic, amazing or all of the above!
1) Kasi the Cheetah and Mtani the Labrador
These two have been best friends since the day they met! Kasi was still small and vulnerable when she first laid eyes on Mtani, but after a couple of years, Kasi has now outgrown her loyal friend. Look at the fun these two have together! Kasi The Cheetah: “Hey Mtani, try and catch ‘meow-side!'”
2) Shotgun!
Best friends share the shotgun seat together, forever and always. These two pups have definitely grown a lot since their first picture, but these best friends will never fight for the ‘shotgun’ position in a car – they’ll just hang out there as a team!
3) Foxes and dogs can definitely be friends!
Jupiter the fox and Moose the dog are the real-life fantasy of Disney’s heartbreaking movie, “The Fox and the Hound.” Even though their characters may differ a lot, these couldn’t live without each other. They’ve been best friends for years with still many more years to come!
4) Internet-famous cats
Meet the adorable duo of Izzy and Zoë. With over three hundred thousand followers on Instagram, these two adorable kittens can definitely consider themselves internet celebrities. They’ve been stealing hearts of everyone ever since they were little. Also, take a closer look at Zoë – one of her spots on her chest looks just like a heart!
5) Their names are Oreo and Pumpkin
Can you guess which one is which? This dynamic duo is just something else. Pumpkin the raccoon was rescued after she was found roaming the streets, and a loving family in the Bahamas has decided to adopt her. Now Pumpkin thinks that she’s a dog too and it’s absolutely hilarious.
6) Milo the dog and Stuart the guinea pig
This duo has been inseparable ever since Stuart was a baby. And even though they’re different species, they do a great job at rocking the same hairstyle. Milo and Stuart are a sight to behold together, and Stuart looks glorious with his long locks!
7) Keeva and Peanut
The French bulldog Keeva used to walk with Peanut the pig. Now Peanut walks Keeva. After all these years, the roles have been reversed! Keeva himself isn’t too happy with the change, but he still loves fooling around with Peanut all the time.
8) Floppy friends
Best friends who have ears that flop together, stay together. These two will never leave each other’s side and do just about everything together. The coolest thing about this duo? They’ll flop their ears in unison and it truly makes for a sight to behold.
9) Four lifelong friends
A quadruplet made up of dogs and ducklings are so adorable that it’s beyond words. According to BuzzFeed, the ducklings and dogs love to take naps and strolls together. The dogs keep the ducklings warm and safe from harm. The two pups Pikelet Butterwoll and Patty Cakes Huckleberry simply love taking care of their two duckling friends, even if they’re a little bit larger now.
10) Lili and Renley
These two adorable felines are two peas in a pod. They’re cuddle buddies for life, outgrowing their beds together since their kitten days. These two have been hanging out with each other ever since they met, and they constantly keep insisting on sharing the same place to sleep. Even though they listen to the names Lili and Renley, perhaps a more appropriate name would be Yin and Yang!
11) Fast-forward three years
These two adorable four-footers were named after the Shrek movie, which means they respond to the names ‘Shrek’ and ‘Fiona’. The first picture was taken three years earlier. What a difference just a couple of years can make!
12) Three Musketeers
Just look at these three little goofballs! Even though they’re all grown up now, you can still spot a bit of their mischievous side. Friends then, friends now, friends forever! If the three musketeers had a canine equivalent, this would be the closest thing.
13) Rescued together
A good Samaritan found these two adorable ginger feline siblings who were desperately in need of help. She took them in, nursed them to health and they’ve since grown into healthy and energetic cats. The two – named Fatty and Skinny – are the best of friends and will do everything together!
14) One of them hasn’t changed
This is probably one of the coolest pictures on our list. Not only can you see how these two adorable kittens have grown over the years, but the owner was more than happy to include himself in the comparison pictures too.
15) Small in size, huge in heart
Meet the two adorable cats known as Socks and Spots. Owner Ariel adopted these two at the age of just 7 weeks old and they’ve been true partners in crime ever since. They still give each other a peck on the cheek once in a while to show their affection for one another and it’s just too sweet.
16) Tucker and Stewie
There aren’t many things on this planet that are cuter than kittens who are just a couple of weeks old. Even though Tucker and Stewie have definitely changed over the span of a few months, you can’t deny that they still have got all of their cuteness. And from the looks of it, their playful personality probably hasn’t disappeared too.
17) Not everyone grows a lot
The before and after pictures of these two best buds are hilariously adorable. The little white terrier must be wondering when his growth spurt will sink in. Even though they’re very different in size now, their love for each other has always been the same.
18) Love is timeless
Just take a look at these two! Edmund and his sibling were just two small kittens when their owner took them in over nine years ago. Even though almost a decade has passed, their cuteness still can’t be denied – especially when they’re together.
19) Matching eyes
Meet the set of twin cats with gorgeous exotic eyes. Iriss and Abyss are probably the most unique twin felines in the world and both have two different eye colors: hazel and blue. They were adopted by their human owner at only three months old.
20) Unexpected friendship
The best friendships usually turn out to be the most unexpected ones. The chemistry between this dog and squirrel duo of Callie and Stewart is definitely something you have to see for yourself. An unlikely, yet absolutely fantastic set of friends.
21) It’s a tradition
This is just a perfect example of a nostalgic picture. This lovely feline duo certainly has grown a bit bigger over the years, but their traditions, manners, and love for each other haven’t changed a bit.
22) Always together
The two siblings Piper and Cubby have been raised together ever since they were born. In other words, their bond is truly special and unbreakable. A Christmas-themed dress-up? No problem for these two, as long as they’re together.
23) Some things never change
The best of friends always have your back no matter what stage of life you’re in. For years, this small and adorable pup has been sleeping on his bigger sibling’s back – and these two weren’t about to break a tradition. Hilarious!
24) Welcoming a new family member
The adorable ten-year-old Reeses with her beautiful golden locks immediately fell in love with Bentley, who joined the family at only eight weeks old. As you can see, Reeses and Bentley always get along really well!
25) You can never really outgrow a best friend
They’ll love you no matter how big or small you are or will become. While this small bunny may not have grown ever since they met, these two are still the very best of friends. Adorable then, adorable now, adorable forever!
26) A lifetime worth of adventures
You can just tell that these two lovely Border Colliers have already been through a lifetime worth of adventures together. Ever since they were little, Archie and Beau wouldn’t go anywhere without the other one closeby. After all, the best adventures are the ones you can share!
27) The Birmans Brothers
G’robert and E’ben are collectively known as “The Birmans Brothers”, and their cuteness and playfulness have certainly garnered them a reputation. Now, they’re not as small and approachable as they used to be, but you can still see the cat-mischief in their eyes!
28) It runs in the family
Who knows, maybe animal cuteness is hereditary? Take a look at Monkey and Louve, two close sisters who almost never spent time alone. A fun fact is that Monkey is actually the mom of ‘The Birmans Brothers’ from the previous slide.
29) Ratatouille
Rescued pet rat Riff is Osiris’ “Ratatouille.” They’re best friends both in and out of the kitchen and they don’t mind the remarkable size difference at all! The little Rat was rescued when he was just four weeks old and has been doing great ever since he was taken in. Riff and the German Shephard Osiris have been inseparable from the moment they met.
30) A remarkable growth spurt
If you’re in need of a load of aww, these two cats will definitely be able to deliver. The white kitten, in particular, definitely has grown quite a bit! The second picture was taken four years later. As you can see, their cuddling habits haven’t changed at all.
31) Cuteness overload
No matter what, these two hilarious Staffordshire Bull Terriers will always be ready for a great family photo. These two pets just love dressing up for special occasions, and their love and affection for each other is just simply too cute to witness.
32) Best of friends
The people and volunteers from Kitten Rescue Los Angeles want to save one puppy and one kitten at a time from shelter euthanasia, and these two friends happened to be rescued at around the same time. Their chemistry was undeniable, and now they’re growing up in the same family together.
33) Always taking care of each other
The owner of these two pets posted this comparison picture on the internet with the caption “Friends forever”, where it quickly went viral with almost 14,000 likes. And for good reason, because the photo shows that no matter what, these two will always take care of one another.
34) Always in for cuddles
Great Dane puppies are just so adorable – they’re calm and will never say ‘no’ to cuddling with a best friend. From the very beginning, this Great Dane and his new friend got along very nicely. Even though they’re now both similar in size, the cuddles never stopped!
35) A little bit too big
When these two adorable kittens were small, they would both end up sleeping in these beds. Months passed and they’ve definitely outgrown their favorite sleeping places, but they don’t seem to mind at all.
36) Hedgehog fun
A pup and a hedgehog – those two animal species would never get along, right? Think again. Meet Biddy the Hedgehog and his adorable sister Charlie. Wherever they go, the duo has wild adventures together and they’re always enjoying each other’s warm company.
37) Always sleeping in the same spot
They say that it’s pretty hard to break a habit, and that’s precisely what these two are able to illustrate. The two labradors always share the couch together, although one of them usually ends up sleeping on its friend’s butt. Ah well, as long as they’re comfortable, right?
38) Size switch
Talk about a switch in sizes! Zena is the English Springer Spaniel, and she has always gladly taken care of the adorable Boxer named King. But as you can see, King is clearly the bigger pup of the two now. What matters most is that Zena and King always have been and always will be the best of friends.