One feline’s reaction to its owner coming home from vacation has melted the hearts of thousands of TikTok users in a viral video.
Cats often get a bad reputation because of their independence, but that doesn’t mean they don’t pay attention to their owner’s presence. Matthew Uchaker, @sloppymatt99 on TikTok, recently returned home after almost a week of being away, and it turns out his white cat couldn’t be happier to see him.
The viral TikTok clip captioned: “Tell me that a pet is just a pet and I’ll show you this…I was gone for close to a week and someone greatly missed me,” boasts over 2 million views so far.
In the video, the senior cat can be seen sleeping on a bed before being awakened by Uchaker who strokes her ear. The feline then turns around and is pleasantly surprised to see him as it cannot stop meowing and pacing up and down.
The video has racked up 486,100 likes and over 23,000 shares since it was posted on September 8. In the comments section, Uchaker told other TikTok users: “She has sat on me every second since getting home to insure I don’t move.”
Going on Vacation Without Your Cat
The good news is cats will be alright if they are left for the day or overnight as long as they have fresh food and water. They also shouldn’t be alone for more than 12 hours, according to Cats Protection, a United Kingdom-based cat welfare charity.
On its website, the charity states that it’s best to leave your cat at home while on vacation. The charity also encourages owners to consider getting a cat sitter or someone you trust to visit at least twice a day to ensure the cat is well-fed and safe.
TikTok Users React
Over 1,520 TikTok users have commented so far on the viral video—many of which are pretending to be the cat’s voice.
One user wrote: “Where HAVE you been?! Beds empty, no note?!”
One comment racked up 45,200 likes, which reads: “That is the sound of a cat that is going to ensure you never leave them alone that long again.”
“My heart aches at the thought of having to leave her and she isn’t even my cat,” added another TikTok user.
“I love the intense yelling. My girl would do this too!” commented another cat owner.
Another wrote: “Oh, my heart! She missed her daddy! What a sweet girl. I love her and she’s not even my kitty.”
In June, Newsweek shared the moment one cat realized its owner was going on vacation without him and it was far from happy. Whereas earlier this year another feline decided to tag along to an Airbnb by sneaking into his owner’s luggage.
Newsweek reached out to @sloppymatt99 for comment via TikTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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