Laughter at cat’s reaction to owner getting kitten: “The anger is real”

A video of a cat appearing “pissed” at her owner for bringing another feline home has gone viral on TikTok.

The moment was captured in a video shared by @tussinn_rodriguez, which has received 13.9 million views since it was posted Monday. A message overlaid on the video reads: “Rescued a kitten and our cat is pissed.”

The video shows a hand scratching the back of a cat that’s lying on the floor. The feline lifts her head up, hisses and flashes her teeth at the camera before lying down again.

As the hand continues to scratch the cat, the cat lifts her head again and makes growling noises before lying back on the floor. She then hisses at the camera again, with teeth in full view, before the video ends.

A caption shared with the post reads: “It’s her mocking that little meow for me.”

Why Do Cats Hiss?

A hiss is a long exhalation produced by a cat with its mouth open and teeth exposed. It is involuntary and triggered by “the surprise appearance of an enemy,” says a January 2020 study in the Journal of Veterinary Science.

The sound is produced “mostly in agonistic situations in order to warn an opponent” and accompanied by a change of body posture and piloerection (raising of hairs), the study said.

As menacing as this may sound, it’s important to note that hissing is not aggressive behavior but rather a sign that a cat is unhappy with something, Graham Lewis, a veterinary surgeon from the Paragon Veterinary Group, told Newsweek in March 2022.

“It is usually a warning before any aggression, and if you are able to understand this then the situation can be deescalated before the cat becomes aggressive,” he said.

Some felines hiss from fear of new and unfamiliar people and objects in their home environment, which throws them off.

Rachael Myers, an animal behaviorist at British pet charity Blue Cross, previously told Newsweek: “If you are doing something to your cat and they hiss at you, it’s important to listen to this and stop what you are doing.”

Felines may even hiss at familiar animals or people if the immediate circumstances make them feel threatened, author Pam Johnson-Bennett of Cat Behavior Associates previously told Newsweek.

They may hiss if they feel threatened by you or others at that moment or because of the way they are being handled.

Lewis said: “This might be something you are doing that is irritating your cat, or they are wanting some space and to be left alone at that time.”

‘The Anger Is Real’

Users on TikTok were amused by the cat’s reaction in the clip.

“The anger is real! Good luck getting your gal to warm up to that kitten!” said user8387550033110, while meetmeonmarsok said: “Oh she’s MAD maddddddd.”

Savannah wrote: “She said ‘IM AN ONLY CHILD.'”

User utopia :3 said: “LMAOOAOAOAOAO jus hearing the kitten enrages the cat.”

Wrote char1018: “Oh wow. Cats can be so territorial. She’s telling that kitty to hush and just go away.”

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. The video has not been independently verified.

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