Many people believe cats and dogs hate each other’s guts. However, this cannot be any further from the truth in reality.

Many cats and dogs coexist rather well, and in fact, their combined antics can be incredibly adorable.

This is indeed the case for Casper and Romeo; a pair of furry siblings who have demeanours as different as their species.

Casper’s a Samoyed dog with a smile that never leaves his face and Romeo’s a cat whose perpetual frown will leave you with nervous giggles.

Together, they form an inseparable pair that has captured hearts from all around the world, gaining attention far from their home of Christchurch, New Zealand.

With thousands of people taking time to watch videos of them playing or scrolling through their social media pages, their antics have certainly gone viral.

But how did this odd pair come to be? FMT had the opportunity to speak to their owner, Rinsa Li, to learn more about the story behind the beloved furry pair.

According to Li, Romeo is so-named due to him being a lady’s man, whereas the origins behind Casper’s name is a reference to a canine character in George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones series.

“We really liked this Direwolf in the show called Ghost. But if you’ve seen the show, Ghost looks quite scary and nothing like Casper,” said Li.

“So, we decided to call our dog Casper the friendly ‘Ghost’ (from Game of Thrones, instead of the Cartoon).”

Casper was the first to enter Li’s life, and getting him was a lifelong dream come true.

However, Li was also interested in getting a cat and was worried that the Samoyed would take poorly to a feline companion.

So, to test him, Li took Casper to visit a friend’s cat, and thankfully, Casper was not hostile but curious, sweet and gentle.

And shortly after, Li happened to come across Romeo.

“When I saw Romeo for the first time, he was the last kitten from that litter – he would sit at the corner and curiously look at us,” she said.

“My heart melted immediately and I knew he was the one.”

At first, they were kept apart, with Romeo staying in the bathroom and the curious Casper kept out by a baby gate.

While he was eager to sniff this new family member, Casper respected Romeo’s need for boundaries, especially with his size scaring the little kitten.

Eventually though, it was Romeo who overcame his fear of the sweet dog and warmed up to his presence.

Li first noticed that Casper and Romeo were growing closer to each other when she found the cat making himself comfortable in Casper’s bed.

“Then I started to notice that every night, Romeo would go up to Casper and Casper would lick clean Romeo’s face,” said Li.

“They would then cuddle then get into a play fight – it was the cutest thing ever.”

Li thinks that Casper’s gentle nature helped him to get along well with Romeo, and their similar white and fluffy looks could have helped smooth things along as well.

It certainly helped that their sweet personalities make them compatible with each other.

Casper is often a good boy, but he can also have a stubborn streak when he feels in need of attention and playtime.

But while Casper is busy trying to get his owners’ attention, Romeo is often doing the same but it’s Casper’s attention he wants instead.

“He always secretly follows Casper around seeking his attention, but Casper sometimes gets annoyed,” said Li.

Apparently, Romeo keeps an eye on Casper constantly, secretly following the dog around and sometimes surprising him.

“It feels like Romeo has a dog personality and Casper has a cat personality sometimes.”

And despite his grumpy appearance, Romeo is a sweet cat that loves nothing more than cuddles and playtime.

He can also be more refined that his canine brother, being less fussy during bath time amusingly enough.

During the day, Romeo is assigned the task of pest control, and Casper sometimes acts as his assistant.

And at night before bed, Romeo receives grooming services from Casper, but always, the former tends to get too demanding.

A fight will then ensue with Casper winning and Romeo skulking off to plan his revenge, only to make up later and cuddle together in bed.

As siblings, they often get into mischief together, with Casper stealing Romeo’s toys and Romeo retaliating by eating Casper’s food.

They also often go out on regular road trips together with their owners, exploring the beautiful landscapes of New Zealand.

While Casper is happy to walk on the lengthy trails, Romeo has a little backpack to sit in when he gets tired.

When they are off on their outdoor adventures, their roles are somewhat reversed with Casper keeping a watchful eye on Romeo to make sure he is alright.

They have relationships outside their own, however, with Casper having his own girlfriend who lives at a neighbour’s.

But they are unlikely to get any life partners, Li said, and they are definitely a pair of best friends.

Li is open to introducing another animal sibling to the family, though, expanding the duo into a trio.

In the meantime, Li and her husband are content showering Casper and Romeo with the love and care they deserve.

“Our dream is to give them the best lives we can in the short time they are here with us,” she said.

Check out Casper and Romeo’s latest adventures on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube.