Watch six-week-old cheetah cub Ruuxa and his new puppy companion, Raina, play cuddles on the cushions at San Diego Zoo. Courtesy San Diego Zoo Safari Park.

WITNESS the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

The San Diego zoo released a heartwarming video of Ruuxa the baby cheetah meeting Raina the Rhodesian ridgeback for the first time, playfully forging what their pet humans believe will become a lifelong relationship.

Ruuxa and Raina — shown wrestling, playing cuddles and licking each other — were introduced after the six-week-old cheetah was rejected by his mother.

“Because the cheetah was by himself and did not have any siblings we wanted him to have a companion immediately,” animal training manager Susie Ekard said. “They definitely like to play, and when they take naps together, they often will snuggle up together for that warmth and closeness.”

The two animals will now spend the rest of their lives together.

“As the two companions grow up together, the dog’s body language will communicate to the cheetah that there’s nothing to fear in new or public surroundings, which relaxes and calms the cheetah,” the zoo said.

It doesn’t get much cuter than this.