New England - Fox the dog's owner was worried when her four-legged friend suddenly became very unwell – then her cat did the sweetest thing.

The Golden Retriever-Chow-Shepherd mix had been by her owner's side for almost 16 years, but now Fox was dying.

"I've dreaded this since the day he came home from the shelter," the dog owner wrote on Instagram.

While she didn't actually want to document her dog's last days for the internet, when she saw what her cat Lynx was doing, she knew she had to pull out her camera.

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In a video, the elderly pooch can be seen lying around looking forlorn.

Lynx the cat then lovingly snuggles up to his head, giving him touching cuddles and little kitty kisses.

It's as if the cat wants to tell her friend that he is not alone during this difficult time.

"When your senior Dogs health takes a turn for the worse and you realize you're not the only one worried about him," the woman writes in her viral post.

Lynx is "the sweetest and most annoying cat" you will ever meet, the pet owner said.

Then last Friday came the sad news – Fox died at the age of 15.

"No words can describe how special he was or how devastating this is to me so I'll leave it at that," she wrote, adding that she hadn't yet "fully processed" his death.

The dog is believed to have suffered a stroke in 2023 and subsequently showed signs of severe vestibular syndrome.

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As a result, he was unable to walk for weeks.

Despite his health problems, however, it is safe to assume that Fox had a very fulfilling life with his dedicated owner and the many other animal siblings who loved him.

Take care over the Rainbow Bridge, Fox!