Meet Winston — a sweet pup who loves nothing more than the warm affection he gets from his family. And it shows.

But perhaps not exactly how you might think.

Since the moment Winston was adopted as a puppy into Beth Clark’s family, he’s been surrounded by cats. The Clarks rescue and foster cats, so Winston learned early and often what felines are all about.

“He joined six cats,” Clark told The Dodo. “They all bonded together in such a loving way.”

But all that time among cats influenced Winston in an unusual way.

One day, when Winston was about 4 months old, Clark noticed him making an unexpected sound when she pet him.

He purred. Just like one of the cats.

“At first, I was taken aback,” Clark said. “But I quickly figured out that what he was actually doing was a vocal expression of contentment that he had learned from his siblings!”

And Winston still does it today:

Sure, Winston’s purring might be a little unusual — he is a dog, after all — but it’s still music to his mom’s ears. She’s just happy that he’s happy.

And his cat siblings would no doubt agree.

“It shows that no matter the species, the ability to express love and affection can transcend even the most obvious differences!” Clark said.