The moment a kitten goes head to head with another kitten has racked up over 9 million views on TikTok. However, there’s a twist.
The other feline is actually his reflection, but he seems entirely unaware and terrified. The cat’s body language reveals his fear, with his fur standing on end in an attempt to make himself look larger.
The clip shared to @ozzyandboomer shows the kitten making strange noises and literally shaking in his boots while he stares at his reflection.
In the caption, the owner reassures, “Don’t worry, he achieved consciousness because of this, and he’s doing well.”
Do Cats Recognize Themselves in Mirrors?
This adorable scene isn’t unique as cats do not recognize themselves in mirrors. Hill’s Pet website has cited a study called the “red spot test,” conducted in 1970 by psychologist Gordon Gallup and published in The Cognitive Animal. Researchers placed an unscented red dot on the forehead of a sedated animal and observed its reaction upon awakening and seeing its reflection. Gallup proposed that if the animal touched the red spot, it indicated self-recognition, as the animal noticed the change in its appearance.
While most animals did not pass Gallup’s test, some did, including dolphins, great apes (gorillas, chimpanzees, orangutans, and bonobos), and magpies. Notably absent from this list are dogs and cats.
The American pet food company states that cats typically react to mirrors with defensive behavior as they want to investigate the “other cat” they see—just like the one in the video.
TikTok Reacts
A stock image of a blue British shorthair kitten looking into the mirror. An almost identical kitten’s reaction to his reflection has left the internet in stitches.
Nils Jacobi/iStock/Getty Images Plus
At the time of writing, the June 24 video has received 2.1 million likes and almost 9,500 comments. Many of these comments share what the viewers believe the cat is thinking.
One user said: “Do you think they ever realize it’s a mirror or just accept ‘there’s another cat sometimes’.
“This other cat just keeps escalating this!” wrote another.
A third commenter said: “He’s like this cat is pushing my buttons!!”
“It took my grey cat about a year to figure out it’s him in the mirror, however, he were trying to befriend the ‘other’ cat. The moment he realised, I was holding him in front of the mirror and he saw there were two of me, looked back and forth between real me and mirror me, looked real sad, and never tried to play with the mirror cat again,” said another owner.
It appears that it’s not only cats who react with fear; some people have joked that they find the video relatable.
“Me in the mirror when I wake up after partying too hard the night before,” said a fifth user.
Newsweek reached out to @ozzyandboomer for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@newsweek.com with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
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