Cat Has Unexpected Reaction After Brother Missing for 2 Weeks Is Back Home

A video showing the "inseparable connection" between two cat siblings has gone viral on TikTok.

The clip was shared by Rim Amri (@rimavlogs2), a 28-year-old web designer and developer from Tunisia, and has had over 723,000 views since it was first posted on March 14.

A message posted across the clip reads: "My cat's reaction after his brother [came] back home. He was missing like 2 weeks."

Amri told Newsweek that the footage was captured in January in Tunisia and shows the reunion of cat siblings Chico and Micha. Both are one-year-old males that are "a delightful mix of Tabby and Siberian breeds" and "despite their distinct lineage, they share an inseparable connection," the poster said.

Amri said: "Chico, who had been missing for around two weeks, finally returned home, prompting Micha's touching reaction as he saw his brother again for the first time. Their strong bond has always been evident since they were kittens."

The clip shows Chico lying on his back, with his belly exposed, while Micha is sitting up, overlooking his brother. Micha repeatedly meows loudly while staring at Chico before pouncing on him. Chico takes a few swipes back at Micha.

Micha is later seen in another corner of the bed, backing up towards Chico with his tail curled upwards. The cat then headbutts the belly area of Chico, who remains on his back, before the pair separate and the clip ends.

Felines use vocalizations to communicate with each other and "express their internal states," notes a January 2020 study published in the Journal of Veterinary Science.

They have a wide range of vocalizations (up to 21 different vocalizations have been described) and are "able to create an efficient communication with humans thanks to the flexibility of vocalization behavior," the study found.

As feisty as the interaction in the viral clip may have seemed, the position of Micha's tail may have been an invitation rather than a sign of aggression.

"You may notice that sometimes your cat's tail looks like a question mark—it stands upright but curls at the end. Again, this cat tail language indicates that your cat is happy and approaching amicably," veterinarian Alison Gerken wrote in a November 2023 article for PetMD.

"When your cat's tail is in this position, it means it's an invitation to interact with your cat. However, while it is tempting to pet that curly-tipped tail, most cats prefer to be pet around their facial glands on their cheeks, under their chin, and next to their ears," she wrote.

Chico lying with his belly out also indicates his relaxed state. Veterinarian Lori Teller, from the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Texas A&M University, told Newsweek in February 2022 that when a cat is on its back with its belly up, it's a "sign that cat trusts you and is willing to expose vulnerable organs to you."

TikTok users were moved by the feline's reaction to his brother's return in the latest viral clip.

User @naytayhey said: "he's so upset he left and is telling him off for leaving don't ever do that again I was sad without u." User budaricks wrote, "he so sad but so happy."

Alessandro said the cat is "angry at him!!" and "saying: 'where the fluff have you been for two weeks??'"

Westie noted: "Yeh l think he is telling him he was worried." Andreea Pălimariu said the feline must have been saying "I missed you, but also I am upset."

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