Months have passed since Zeus the cat bid a fond farewell to his deceased companion Sam the dog. The bereaved cat still harbors a deep affection for his longtime canine friend, though.

And that has recently become very evident.

On the surface, Zeus and Sam’s relationship may not have seemed too atypical for a cat and dog living under the same roof.

But despite the contrasts in their species and temperaments, a bond formed between them — though they did express it in different ways.

“Zeus always tried to cuddle with Sam and play with him, but Sam was always uninterested,” Emma Catanzarite, the pair’s owner, told The Dodo. “Zeus loved to tease him all the time.”

Mostly, though, he just wanted to be close.

However, Sam the dog showed his love by being tolerant, as opposed to cats who typically have odd ways of expressing affection.

Sadly, though, their time together couldn’t remain indefinitely since Sam’s passing two months prior had a profound impact on the cat’s heart.

After Sam died, Zeus appeared to be quite lonely, Catanzarite said. “He spent more time following my mum around during the day, and when he passed away, he meowed a lot like he was hunting for him. When my mother entered the room the day Sam passed away, he was covered in a blanket and Zeus was lying on top of him, as if he had finally gotten a chance to cuddle with him.”

Despite Sam being gone, Zeus managed to get in touch with him this week.

Since the dog’s passing, Catanzarite’s brother had kept his old collar on a bookshelf in his room. The other day, Zeus found it — and his heart seemed to swell.

“I saw Zeus sniffing by the bookshelf and then he jumped up and sat right by the collar,” Catanzarite said. “It made me so sad seeing how happy he was to find it and finally smell Sam again.”

It’s impossible to say for certain if simply smelling Sam again was enough to mend his heart, but it certainly appeared that way.

“He seemed so happy when he discovered it,” Catanzarite said. “I think it might have helped him.”