Woman Stops To Stroke 'Random Cat'—Then Things Take Unexpected Turn
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
A woman has gone viral on TikTok after stopping to stroke a black and white cat on the street—only to find herself unexpectedly pinned in place when the feline jumped into her lap.
The TikTok, posted by the user @groupchatgetaway, shows the woman crouching on the sidewalk to pet the cat, who clearly enjoys the attention. The video quickly took off, racking up 1.7 million views and over 199,000 likes.
"When stroking a random cat in the street takes a sudden turn," reads the on-screen text as the cat hops up and makes themselves at home in her lap.
"Yup stuck here forever now," she added, as the friendly feline settled in, leaving her stuck in an awkward squatting position. She captioned the video: "Friendliest cat ever."
While the clip is undeniably adorable, there's actually science behind the cat's behavior. According to Sheba's guide, when a cat chooses to sit in your lap, it's a strong sign of trust and affection. The warmth and closeness help them feel safe, and the behavior can even be a way of showing ownership—yes, they might be claiming you.
But should you always stroke cats you meet on the street? PetMD advises caution. While many cats enjoy social interaction, it's best to let them approach you first, watch their body language, and avoid petting areas they might find uncomfortable. Street cats may also carry unknown health risks or simply not be in the mood for human interaction.
Fortunately for this TikToker, this particular cat was very much in the mood—for cuddles, attention, and perhaps some emotional support squats.
A stock image showing a black and white tuxedo cat.
A stock image showing a black and white tuxedo cat.
Dejan Ruzic/iStock / Getty Images Plus
Viewers flooded the comments with relatable reactions and cat facts.
"This is why you do squats, to prepare for this situation," joked one user.
"Tuxedo cats are often really loving and clingy (especially the boys)," noted another commenter.
"Boss: why are you late?! Uhmm well there was an emergency, meanwhile the emergency," quipped a viewer, referencing the cozy cat.
"I love meeting random cats. It makes my day too," said John Hall.
"My first cat did this when I went to the shelter to pick one... I felt I had no choice but we spent 13 years together," one user reminisced.
And another user added: "It's illegal to move now."
Newsweek reached out to@groupchatgetaway for comment via TIkTok. We could not verify the details of the case.
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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
3 hours ago
- Newsweek
Navy F-35 Jet Crashes in California, Pilot Safely Ejects: What We Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A naval F-35C jet went down in California on Wednesday near Naval Air Station Lemoore. NAS Lemoore Public Affairs Officer Sarah Thrasher told Newsweek via email that the jet pilot "successfully ejected and is safe." The F-35C was attached to the VFA-125 "Rough Raiders," Thrasher notes. She said the cause of the crash is under investigation and that no other personnel were affected. This is a developing story that will be updated with additional information.
Newsweek
15 hours ago
- Newsweek
Map Shows Countries Where Christians No Longer in Majority
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. New data from Pew Research Center shows a decline in the number of countries where Christians are in a majority between 2010 and 2020. While most countries still have Christian majorities—with more than half the people in those countries identifying as Christians—there has been a decline in the last decade—with the U.K., France, Uruguay and Australia no longer falling into this category. Having previously had Christian majorities in 2010, the proportion of Christians in each country was 49 percent, 46 percent, 44 percent and 47 percent respectively in 2020, with no religious group holding a majority. Uruguay was the only country in the Americas that didn't have a Christian majority in 2020, although French Guiana is an overseas department of France on the northeast coast of South America, and as such part of a country without a Christian majority. Why It Matters Millions of Christians across the globe have been leaving the religion in recent years, resulting in the number of Christians in many countries dropping in the last decade, Pew Research Center reported. The center said that "religious switching" could be the main reason behind this, which refers to a person leaving one religion to join another, or abandoning religion entirely. The center's findings show an increase in the number of countries with religiously unaffiliated majorities—with 10 countries in that category in 2020, three more than in 2010. What To Know Overall, the data showed that 120 out of the 201 countries and territories studied had Christian majorities in 2020, which was four fewer than in 2010. It's important to note that other countries may have also lost their Christian majorities prior to 2010, while some may have lost them since 2020. The reason the U.K., France, Uruguay and Australia no longer have Christian majorities, is because of the "continuation of a long, gradual process of religious disaffiliation that's been going on for many decades," David Voas, a professor of social science at University College London, told Newsweek. He said that the "drift away from religion is largely generational." "When older, more religious people die, they are replaced in the population by younger, less religious people," he added. Voas said that there is also "some switching out of religion in adulthood," but that typically the largest shifts occur "between rather than within generations." More broadly, lots of Christian-majority countries have seen "a decline in the proportion of their populations declaring themselves Christian," Paul Seabright, a professor of economics at Université Toulouse Capitole, France, told Newsweek. This is down to many factors, including that more people, especially younger people, "are 'mixing-and-matching' their spirituality," he said. "Many still believe in God but don't declare themselves members of a particular church or even a particular religion, and those who don't really believe in God are more comfortable saying so openly than their parents used to be," Seabright added. Another contributor is the increase in childlessness, Seabright said, which has two effects—firstly, fewer children born of Christian parents, and secondly, childless couples and younger single people are less likely to belong to Christian churches than couples with children. There may be variations from this trend, he added, as "some young people who are currently childless, especially Generation Z, are likely to become more religious when they eventually have children." He said that technology could also be having an impact, as those who were teens when the iPhone launched in 2007, will be just entering their 30s now, and "are only just starting to grapple with the challenges of having a family." "This should bring more of them out of their online bubbles into real-world communities," he said. Another factor, according to Seabright, is that "in many countries the Christian churches were associated with the conservative establishment, which gradually eroded their legitimacy, especially in countries where the Church supported very conservative or authoritarian regimes. Examples include Spain and Chile, but also in Ireland, the U.K. and Germany." Additionally, "the scandals of sexual, physical and financial abuse have led to significant numbers of people leaving the churches, for example in France, Ireland, the U.S." What People Are Saying Paul Seabright, a professor of economics at Université Toulouse Capitole, France, told Newsweek: "There are offsetting trends, such as urbanization which is leading to an increase in Christians belonging to evangelical and Pentecostal churches, especially in sub-Saharan Africa, for example, Ghana, Nigeria, Kenya, Zimbabwe, and some Asian countries, like The Philippines, and also to a Muslim revival in places like Indonesia, Nigeria, Tanzania." He added: "Immigration from non-Christian countries explains part of the decline but only a small part. Immigration from other Christian countries often increases a country's Christian proportion, for example from the West Indies and Africa into the U.K." Lois Lee, a senior lecturer in secular studies at the University of Kent, told Newsweek: "What we're seeing in historically Christian countries is a long-term cultural shift that involves the transformation of Christian traditions into new meaning systems. Humanism and alternative spirituality are significant examples, but there are others too. Like any cultural transformation, the causes are complex, multifactorial—in the same way there's no short answer to the question, why did the Reformation happen?" She said: "We tend to focus on the decline of Christianity but the Reformation analogy is a reminder that cultural change doesn't overturn everything that came before it—it transforms it into something new. In the U.K., for example, humanism seems to be widespread and British humanism is shaped by Christianity in significant ways." She added: "On one level, what is causing the shift is parents no longer finding it important to pass on Christianity as we know it to their children, and a big part of that is that they are passing on alternative meaning systems and values instead." David Coleman, a professor of demography at the University of Oxford in England, told Newsweek: "To me the astonishing thing is that the data shows so many countries that still have Christian majorities. If the report had included the proportion of residents who were religiously active, praying at home, attending church, and use that as the criterion for the number of Christian countries then numbers would be far fewer. Many are happy to accept the cultural label without the religious involvement." He said: "The cumulative effect of generations of education, the weak authority of the church and the huge damage of scandals, and growing material security is making active Christianity a curiosity. Rejection of religion is strong in countries where the (Catholic) church was dominant and authoritarian, in countries like Ireland, Italy, and Latin America. That is not to deny a revival of interest in Christian religion in the young and the strength of various kinds of evangelical Christianity in immigrant minorities, especially from Africa." What Happens Next It is likely that more countries will no longer have Christianity as the majority religion in coming years, experts told Newsweek. "Countries that currently have only small Christian majorities are the most likely to see those figures drop below 50 percent in the decade or so ahead," Voas said. Canada, Estonia, Belgium and Germany may all lose their Christian majorities, he added, while Suriname in South America is "on the borderline but there's no clear movement." Additionally, in Africa, "Benin could lose a Christian majority if the share of Muslims continues to increase," he said. Seabright also said that Chile, Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Spain may become "minority Christian countries in the next decade." "In the longer term, this could happen to the U.S., but because of Christianity becoming associated with the political right, not because of immigration," he said. "Lots of countries will continue to see Christian beliefs and identities morphing into new meaning systems since these are long-term cultural shifts," Lee said.
Newsweek
20 hours ago
- Newsweek
Owner Worried About Sending Dog To Day Care—Unprepared for Pics She Receives
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. A dog owner's nerves about their puppy's first day at day care quickly turned to delight, after receiving pictures that showed the canine having the time of his life—images that have since warmed the hearts of viewers on Reddit, too. The dog's owner, who goes by u/florawater on the platform, had shared the pet's joy on July 25 with a post titled, "Carl's first day at day care …" alongside a caption that read: "I've been so worried about sending him to day care but this way he gets access to the outdoors in the countryside (we live in an apartment in the city) and gets to hang out with other dogs." The post has since received more than 4,200 upvotes, leaving viewers both touched and delighted. Carl, a golden-retriever puppy, was pictured beaming with joy as he explored the countryside with other dogs from the day-care group. In one image, he is caught mid-run, clearly elated, with his ears flopping and mouth open in what appears to be a wide, toothy grin. In another, he stands on a grassy trail, surrounded by fellow pups, looking content and carefree. The post struck a chord with dog lovers on Reddit, many of whom could relate to the worry of sending a pet to day care for the first time—but also to the relief and joy of seeing them thrive in a social and stimulating environment. The photos not only eased the owner's initial concerns but also offered viewers a glimpse of Carl's personality shining through. "My dog is also a day care enjoyer," one viewer said. "When I pick him up, he has to say goodbye to his favorite staff members at least 3 times. "Last week one of them had to walk to the car with us (which was about 10 steps, but he planted his big butt and wouldn't move without an escort)." "I love seeing other pups who love day care," another added. "It looks like Carl loves day care," a third viewer said. "The face of someone who is having an absolute blast," one comment shared. "I like this day care," another added. "Carl is thriving at day care," one viewer commented. "It's great to see him enjoying it." "This cutie is also sending me," another posted. "That smile makes my day," a third added, referring to Carl's large grin in the pictures. "Carl looks like an extremely happy pup, thanks for sharing," one commenter said, in much agreement. Stock photo: A golden retriever puppy smiles while playing outdoors. Stock photo: A golden retriever puppy smiles while playing outdoors. Getty Images Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to life@ with some details about your best friend, and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.
