Guinea Pig Who Lost His Brother Finds Comfort In An Unlikely Friend

John the guinea pig (named after John Steinbeck) and his brother Kurt (named after Kurt Vonnegut) were the best of friends. The pair did absolutely everything together — until Kurt passed away in April.

Claudia Benz

When John lost Kurt, he was incredibly lonely and had no desire to do much of anything at all. "At first, John seemed really sad and stayed in his 'cave' inside of his cage, and would only come out to eat," Claudia Benz, John's mom, told The Dodo.

John's family wasn't sure what to do — until, of course, they remembered Micki.

Claudia Benz

Micki is the family's dog and has always been fascinated by the guinea pigs. He loved to watch them playing in their cage and would gently lick their faces whenever they got close enough. Since Micki already seemed to love John, the family wondered if John might learn to love Micki, too.

"Micki and John have always been buddies, but my mom first took John out of his cage about a month ago to see if hanging out with another animal might cheer him up a bit," Benz said.

Claudia Benz

John was a little apprehensive at first, but Micki showed him so much love that it didn't take him long to warm up to the idea of a new best friend. Now the pair are closer than ever, and love hanging out every chance they get.

Claudia Benz

"They play together a lot — John will climb all over Micki and Micki will just lick him while he climbs and plays," Benz said.

Claudia Benz

Micki is very protective of John, and seems to know that he needs a little extra love and attention.

Claudia Benz

John may have lost his brother — but now he has a best friend.

source:  The Dodo