Image Source: Nova’n’Pacco/ Instagram

Diana Grib, the owner of both of these adorable pets, admitted that the cute, yet unlikely friendship between Nova and Pacco was no coincidence and took years of effort. First, Diana got Nova, the German Shepherd, whom she raised with the intention of being friendly towards other animals. Diana exposed Nova to all kinds of animals since the dog was just a small puppy.

Diana says that Nova is very mellow and has a gentle and caring character, which is exactly why she gets along with other pets so well. Two years later, after more than half a year or research and preparations, Diana got the third family member – Pacco the ferret. “It took only one day for them to become best buds, as they couldn’t resist playing with each other,” Diana said in an interview with the Insider.

Pacco, like most ferrets, is very playful and energetic, so the two end up playing with each other all the time. At the same time, Pacco is very gentle and loves to cuddle, as you can certainly see for yourself in these photos. Despite being the smallest family member, Pacco is the leader of the pack, Diana says.

The two frequently go on walks outside of their home in Vilnius, Lithuania, with both of them being equally curious to explore the great outdoors. However, the favorite hobby of the bunch is still tug-o-war and playful fighting.

Nova is an incredibly patient dog, the owner says, she doesn’t even flinch when Pacco plays a bit too rough with her. Ferrets have tougher skin than most mammals, so they usually play-bite harder than cats or dogs, which is an additional reason why they don’t always get along with other animals.

Still, having a pet ferret is not so rare, and you can even raise them together with other pets given that you’re ready to put a little extra care and training, and these photos definitely show that Diana’s efforts definitely paid off, as she managed to unite these two adorable besties.