A video of a cat appearing frightened by the sound of thunderstorms has gone viral on TikTok.
The clip, which has received over 239,000 views, was posted in April by @twonawtycats, the TikTok account of cat duo Guccie & Lindo.
A message overlaid on the clip says: "How my cat reacts when he hears thunderstorms." A caption shared with the post reads: "Poor baby gets scared."
How Can You Tell a Cat Is Scared?
Pets can have a fearful or phobic response associated with people, other animals, sounds, objects or environments.
You can tell a feline is afraid by observing their facial expressions and body language. Telltale signs include piloerection (when the hair on their back goes up) and vocalizations such as high-pitched whimpers. Veterinarians Kenneth Martin, Debra Horwitz and Gary Landsberg wrote about these in an article for VCA, one of North America's largest animal hospital chains.
Some cats may hide, try to appear smaller, pull their ears back and be immobile, while others may display agitation or aggression, Horwitz and Landsberg added.
What Causes Fear and Phobia in Cats?
Fear is an aversive reaction to "stimuli which are perceived as an actual threat or danger." Phobia is "a sudden, profound, or excessive fear response" that is "out of proportion to the stimulus and is maladaptive," said Martin, Horwitz and Landsberg.
What triggers fearful or phobic reactions varies depending on the pet. Phobic responses can develop from just one exposure or continued exposure. Sometimes, a fearful reaction can be a result of an early experience that was "unpleasant or perceived by the pet as unpleasant," the veterinarians added.
But it's not always down to an unpleasant experience. Any people, places, sights or sounds that a cat had not been exposed to during its sensitive period of development (up to 2 months of age) could become "a fear-evoking stimulus," Martin, Horwitz and Landsberg wrote.
"He's Got His Own Panic Room'
The sound of what appear to be thunderstorms can be heard in the background of the latest viral clip. The cat is seen on a kitchen countertop, looking down toward a cupboard below, with its paw on the handle of the door.
The cat jumps down onto the floor and opens the cupboard before scurrying away inside of it as the door closes shut behind it.
The latest video has melted the hearts of users on TikTok, with several being understanding of the feline's fears.
DigitalBypass wrote, "lol [laugh out loud] he just yeeted away to safety," to which the original poster replied, "yeah its his safe space."
User sarahlooker85 wrote: "If I could fit in the cupboard I'd be in there too."
Chuckles posted: "Certainly has the right idea." And Anna Ryder added that "he's got his own panic room."
Denyse Ward227 commented: "OMG [oh my god]!!! Poor little one."
User oltimmer31 wrote that the cat must have been thinking, "let me know when it's all over."
Newsweek has contacted the original poster via email and TikTok for comment. This video has not been independently verified.
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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Soo Kim is a Newsweek reporter based in London, U.K. She covers various lifestyle stories, specializing in travel and health.
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