This adorable cat has earned a huge social media following for her striking resemblance to a character in the 2010 family favorite film, How to Train Your Dragon.
When Sarah Jenner started sharing videos of her cat, Bailey, on TikTok (@sarahlifestyleandfood), she was only expecting to share his adorable goofiness with her followers. But before long, Bailey had earned thousands of new fans due to her resemblance to Toothless the dragon.
Jenner, from Kent, U.K, told Newsweek that now she "can't unsee it" after it was pointed out to her by a TikTok follower.
"In the original video, she is getting ready to pounce on my hand, which is why her ears are flat and her eyes are wide. Hunting mode, activated," she said. "Bailey is super playful and extremely affectionate. If she was a dog, she'd be a Labrador. She just loves cuddles and being groomed."
Prior to pets becoming such an integral part of our lives, cats hunted for their food. While successful hunting was previously a way of staying alive, pet food company Purina suggests that for cats nowadays, it's more about having fun and entertaining themselves.
Cats are inherently bred with a desire to hunt for prey—whether it's a soft toy dragged along the floor or a bird it sees outside. For that reason, there are three different strategies they can employ: the ambush technique, stalking and pouncing or fishing in water.
As these are natural instincts for the cat, Purina says that owners should never reprimand them for behaving this way. If it becomes problematic, owners are encouraged to redirect the cat's hunting instincts to playtime instead. This will provide mental stimulation and satisfy their desire to stalk prey, even if it is with a squeaky toy instead of a live animal.
When the DreamWorks Animation movie was released in 2010, the gentle and endearing character of Toothless gained many fans around the world. But now, many years later, Bailey has now become the fan favorite since going viral on TikTok.
The video of the year-old cat preparing to pounce has been viewed more than 8.3 million times and received over 1.7 million likes. Jenner now refers to her as "our little Toothless."
"The reaction on social media has been crazy. The video in question jumped from 20,000 views to 8.2 million in three days. My account has now grown to from 22,000 followers to 31,000, which is insane," Jenner told Newsweek.
Among the 2,400 comments on the viral post already, user @jakewolf362 wrote: "Toothless was based off one of the creator's cats, they used a lot of the cat's movements for Toothless."
TikTok user @sofiaaac.x commented: "Ah I can't stop squealing, it's so cute."
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.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
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Alyce Collins is a Newsweek Life and Trends reporter based in Birmingham, U.K. with a focus on trending topics that ... Read more
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