Cats and dogs are not known for their love of one another. But a woman named Shirley recently discovered that the two species in fact can be friends—and successfully change each other’s lives. It all started when she was walking her dog Odie eight years ago and came across a stray kitten. The kitten began to follow them and Shirley decided to adopt her and name her Leeloo. Leeloo the cat was terrified of people and dogs, but slowly learned to trust them both thanks to her doggy sibling Odie. Soon, Shirley had Odie and Leeloo taking hikes with her and discovered the cat loved to hike and be outdoors. Sadly, Odie passed away and Shirley knew Leeloo needed a new dog in her life.
So, Shirley adopted Brody. He was in a large California shelter and brought to Washington state. The Jack Russell terrier had several behavioral problems and when she took Brody and Leeloo on a hike together, she knew he was meant to be part of their family. Leeloo took to Brody right away, but the feeling was not mutual; Brody saw Leeloo as prey, not friend. But with a lot of time and work on Shirley’ part, she was eventually able to teach Brody how to act around his cat sibling. Leeloo and Brody are now the best of friends and enjoy their favorite activity: hiking outside.
The dog and cat now hike side by side into the mountains with their mom and love to hike and even take the occasional swim. They hike in the summer months and then when the snow falls, Brody likes to pull Leeloo outside in a little sled. While they couldn’t be more different from one another, Brody and Leeloo found a way to not only live together but to thrive as a pair.
