Animal lovers’ hearts have melted at a tiny dog’s morning routine of pleading with her owner to cuddle with her.
Marbet Marin, 30, lives in Los Angeles, California, and is the proud owner of Chata, a deaf former shelter dog who she brought into her family during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“During that time, I couldn’t meet the dogs before choosing, and there were long waitlists to adopt a dog everywhere I looked,” Marin said.
While on the phone to a shelter employee inquiring about another dog who she learned had already been adopted, she then saw a photo of Chata, and instantly fell in love—and was then told that the people who had been supposed to adopt Chata never showed up.
“I was so happy I got in. The next day, I picked her up and we couldn’t have possibly been a better match,” Marin said.
“I knew I wanted a tiny companion, as I live in an apartment and don’t have a huge yard. I also wanted a little dog that followed me everywhere. That’s definitely what I got!”
All Marin knew about her new pup was that she was found as a stray, and believes she may have been abandoned as Chata suffered from some separation anxiety at first.
There is no single cause behind separation anxiety, but it can be due to a combination of life experiences, environment and individual vulnerability. This includes a sudden change in environment, being abandoned or in a shelter before, or general social dependency, according to Veterinary Partner.
Now, Chata is adorably clingy—as showcased in a viral video to Marin’s TikTok account, @chatathedeafdog, on January 22, which shows how “my lil deaf dog forces me to cuddle every morning.”
It shows the tiny, fluffy pup sitting and staring at Marin in the morning as she makes up a cup of coffee, as Marin tells the camera: “Every morning, this girl tries to get me to go cuddle with her. I can’t just sit here and drink my coffee.
“So I have to either go cuddle with her, or she tries to come sit on my lap. Let’s see what happens today.”
As Marin speaks, Chata starts making grumbling, whining noises to get her owner’s attention—and as Marin stands up, the pup stretches out excitedly before bouncing towards the sofa, often stopping to check her owner is following, and letting out happy barks.
And when Marin sits down, Chata begs to be picked up—and the video ends with Chata settling down for a cuddle on Marin’s lap.
TikTok users were obsessed, watching the video more than 600,000 times, one declaring: “This is the opposite of a problem.”
“This way, mother!” one wrote alongside a screengrab of one of Chata’s happy movements, and another admitted: “That would be the best part of my day.”
Chata’s adoring owner told Newsweek that “seeing the love for Chata’s videos warms my heart because I know how truly special she is.
“I think we could all use a smile these days and I’m so glad she can help with that,” she said.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
