Cat Owner Discovers Childhood Fear Wasn't Irrational: 'Monster Under Bed'

All kids are terrified of the "monster under the bed," until they eventually grow up and out of this fear. But what if it turned out to be real? A cat owner has left the internet in stitches after catching the real-life boogeyman.

In a clip shared on Instagram in February, under the username @thescholarlycat, the poster's cat, Stella, can be seen jumping from under the bed. She is ready to catch her owner's hands as she taps the mattress playfully.

The hilarious video comes with a caption that reads: "turns out my childhood fear wasn't so irrational." It is followed by: "Who else was terrified?"

Mental-health experts at Sleep and Cognition say children's fear of a monster under the bed begins between 4 and 5 years of age. It becomes more vivid, as kids start to understand more abstract concepts while still encountering difficulty differentiating fact from fiction.

Moreover, the experts add: "Kids lack experience in mastering the art of falling asleep and coping with sounds at night. They're particularly vulnerable to indicators or signs of threat at night."

If your child is afraid of the dark and a monster lurking under the bed, you can help them by coming up with a calming bedtime routine; monitoring their use of media gaming console; using a night lamp; and practicing being in the dark. You can also reassure your kids by looking under the bed together before putting them to bed.

The video quickly went viral on social media, getting viewers from across Instagram. It has so far received over 1.85 million likes on the platform.

One user, isaacs_millionth_account, commented: "Imagine showing this to a toddler who's never seen a cat." And sebastian.and.lily wrote: "The face is too adorable, it's a mix of screaming and laughing."

User andrew_s1989 added: "Dad: there's no monster under the bed. The monster in question:"

Only1kookiee wrote: "The only dark shadow I wouldn't mind seeing." And oracleotu posted: "The way I immediately smiled upon seeing this godly creature."

Another user, mav_seed, added: "Me and my brother used to play with our cat by sticking our fingers towards the edge of the bed and she just attacked them. She hated everyone most the time, so this was the one way that we could play with her."

Newsweek reached out to @thescholarlycat for comment via Instagram chat. We could not verify the details of the case.

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