It's only on rare occasions, much to the chagrin of my personal assistant feline, Dilettante Dilly, that I willingly compliment a c–ca—(oh, it's so difficult to say it )—a cat.

But this week it's all too easy to pass along kind words for the unique friendship between Butter Bean the horse and Weazel the cat. They both live with Lisa and Mike Waring in Hope Mills.

"Weazel is a three year old tabby cat," said her human Lisa. "We adopted her as a kitten after her mother was killed. She was rescued from beneath a trailer. She now lives happily down on our little farm with Butter Bean the horse and a Rooster named Junior, Jr. Weazel got her name because when she was little she would play in the hay and you never knew where she was or when she would suddenly "pop" out ... we would say Pop goes the Weazel!"

Ten year old paint horse, Butter Bean, took to Weazel immediately, forging a special bond. "Now they're the best of friends!" Lisa said. "When it's cold, Butter Bean actually allows Weazel to sleep up on her back! Wherever she goes, you will usually see Weazel trailing very close behind."

The tale of Butter Bean and Weazel is of great importance as we cast off into a new year. Friendship is not always packaged as a carbon copy—open your mind and your heart, and you'll be all the happier.

Woof!