Cat Activates 'Spin Mode' After Being Taken on Bike Ride in Hilarious Video

A video capturing one cat's frantic reaction to being taken on a bike ride for the first time has left pet lovers positively tickled online.

Footage of the feline's confused response was shared to TikTok by his owner, posting under the handle catsncalligraphy. The clip, which has been viewed over 8 million times, can be watched here.

Cats may come off as aloof and wholly independent but research suggests they miss their human companions when left alone for an extended period of time.

In a study published in the Public Library of Science in 2017, researchers observed how cats behave when left alone by their owners for periods ranging from 30 minutes to several hours.

What they found was that the cats tended to interact "more intensely" when reunited after a longer duration of separation, seemingly indicating our feline friends do relish human companionship on some level.

Bob, the cat who features in this latest viral video, certainly appears attached to his owner, with the pair enjoying cuddles and walks together. Even so, their first experience taking a trip on a bike proved a little trickier than most.

In the video, Bob can be seen being loaded into a specially-made cat basket that sits at the front of his owner's bike. Once safely strapped in, the pair set off - but Bob isn't settling in just yet.

As the clip shows, he's far from comfortable at the sudden movement and instead begins shifting around the basket at rapid pace.

This kind of nervous response is understandable given that this is his first experience on a bicycle, but it's Bob's adorably confused look toward his owner that is a particular highlight here.

Thankfully, Bob does eventually settle and is soon seen looking all around in apparent astonishment at the scenery rushing by them.

As several additional videos have shown since, Bob is now fully up to speed with life in the fast lane as a feline cyclist but his reaction in this initial clip nevertheless proved popular on social media.

Alocuana asked: "why did he just start spinning?" with Oreo Hamster joking: "That cat is spinning around like he's in a washing machine." Cheyc117 said: "I died when the cat started spinning" while waac1520 wrote: "You put the cat on spin mode."

Not everyone was amused, of course.

Charlotte Pailloux said: "This trend has to stop, Cat's are not DOGS, leave them alone," and couture.love warned: "A lot of cats get motion sickness when they aren't in control."

Some were quick to dispel any concerns, though.

Javdko wrote: "people who are saying he's terrified have literally never met a cat before. Look at the ears, the tail, the spine. the cat is confused, not scared."

Maryannlands0 added: "Who made rules on what cats can and can't do? Should a child not learn to swim because he's afraid? Same concept with cats.Learning is not torture."

Newsweek has contacted catsncalligraphy for comment.