Internet in Stitches as Cat Tries On His Owner's Shoes: 'New Ick Unlocked'

A cat called Stanley has left the internet in stitches after his owner shared a video of his shenanigans that quickly went viral on social media.

In the post, shared on TikTok on Thursday under the username Stanleythestanman, the cat can be seen holding a giraffe stuffed toy in his mouth as he attempts to put on his owner's white sneakers.

The hilarious post comes with a caption that says: "When your cat tries to wear your shoes." Followed by: "New ick unlocked."

Stanley's owner, Amanda, told Newsweek: "Stanley is a 4-year-old rescue that was found alone as a tiny kitten. I was his foster parent and picked him up right after he was found and ended up adopting him. So I've had him ever since he was about 4 weeks old. He was in bad shape when rescued and it took some time to nurse him back to health but he made a full recovery and has been living his best life ever since.

"He's definitely a very unique cat and is constantly doing things that surprise me lol. He's very calm and very sweet but still super playful and can be a little timid around new people. He really loves dogs but tolerates other cats. His favorite toys are stuffed animals and his favorite activity is eating."

If you own a cat you've probably caught them playing with your shoes more than once, but have you ever wondered where this behavior stems from? According to pet well-being experts at Rover, for the most part, cats like being around their owners' shoes for comfort and play.

"One of the best sources of comfort for cats is smell. Cats love shoes and feet because they smell like their favorite human! A cat who nuzzles or lays on shoes could also be marking the shoes (and their owner) as familiar and safe," their website says.

Moreover, they explain that there could be a few other reasons behind this behavior. One of them is that your cat is trying to mark their territory. Cats secrete pheromones all over their bodies, but glands in the cheeks are some of the most active. So if you see a cat rubbing its head on your shoes, you know why they're doing it.

Other reasons for this behavior could be that they're interested in your shoelaces, that they're bored, attention seeking, or looking for a comfortable place to sleep, among other things.

The video quickly went viral on TikTok, garnering over 5.5 million views and 177,700 likes on the platform.

One user, Bagyuu, commented: "I don't think he was trying the shoes on." And another said: "Only cat owners know What he is really doing." Shashasha wrote: "Why is she carrying the giraffe like a kitten??"

Another user, BeautifulBlessed_Alexis, said: "Mine has a blanket that I bought him so he could sleep on.. and he's trying to make more than biscuits.. with it." Thomas Anderson5960 added: "Gotta put [on] the big boy shoes for happy time."

Update 9/14/23 5:44 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with comments from the cat's owner and a new picture.

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