logo
Where Cat Decides To Sit in Vets Leaves Internet in Stitches: 'Great Idea'

Where Cat Decides To Sit in Vets Leaves Internet in Stitches: 'Great Idea'

Newsweek20-05-2025

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 veterinarian appointment took an unexpected turn when a cat named Ellie decided to sit in a very unusual spot, immediately paying the consequences.
In a viral TikTok video shared on Thursday under the username @ellielunaandcoal, the fluffy long-haired tabby cat can be seen trying to hide in the corner, right under the sanitizer dispenser, unaware of what's about to come. "We took Ellie to the vet and she thought it would be a great idea to sit right under a sanitizer dispenser," reads layover text in the clip.
Of course, the cat's presence triggered the dispenser, which kept releasing sanitizer on her fur. But, despite the thorough sanitation, Ellie refused to move away from her hiding spot, so she had to be forcefully removed. "[Don't worry] guys we and the vets got her all rinsed and cleaned up," the poster wrote in the caption.
Ellie was probably hiding because she was scared of the vet, which is not uncommon among cats.
At the veterinary clinic, felines encounter the sights, scents, and sounds of unfamiliar people and animals, which can easily make them uncomfortable. Being handled in the examination room may also be an unpleasant memory.
But, regardless of whether cats like it or not, vet visits are necessary, and, as a pet owner owner, it is your responsibility to make them as enjoyable as they can be.
To avoid other cats, schedule your appointment for a time when the clinic is usually quiet, and pack treats to reward your kitty, and a familiar towel for comfort. If possible, it is also best to wait in the car with your feline until your turn is up, instead of using the waiting room, says VCA Animal Hospitals.
Stock image: A veterinarian handles a tabby cat at a clinic.
Stock image: A veterinarian handles a tabby cat at a clinic.
getty images
The video quickly went viral on social media and has so far received over 1.4 million views and more than 229,000 likes on the platform.
One user, Smolcatz4eva, commented: "Cat: 'Wow, that was weird. Hope it doesn't happen again! Wow, it happened again, crazy."
Sam posted: "Looked at my dumbest cat and admired her intelligence after seeing this."
Emilee added: "I love how she looks at the dispenser like it offended her."
Newsweek reached out to @ellielunaandcoal for comment via TikTok comments. 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.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

The things ER doctors do and don't worry about
The things ER doctors do and don't worry about

Yahoo

time5 hours ago

  • Yahoo

The things ER doctors do and don't worry about

A fun day out with the kids at a trampoline park, fueled by some energy drinks (and a Tylenol for your hangover) that ends with petting some gorgeous local dogs sounds like a lovely day for most, but those seemingly lowkey activities would leave an emergency room doctor panicking. A recent video posted to TikTok by Claire Edwards (username @theclairenecessities) titled 'Things my doctor husband does and does not care about' prompted other health professionals to weigh in and add their own personal favorite list of activities and items that either stress them out — or leave them unbothered. The Independent spoke to Dr Jason Idelson, clinical chief of corporate medicine at City MD, and Dr Anita Singh, chair of high acuity urgent care centers in New Jersey, to find out what common injuries they see, and which things don't concern them. Edwards' TikTok raised concerns over keeping children well away from hazards. As well as 'pointy objects,' people were quick to urge caution over bikes, backyard pools, and especially… trampolines. Yes, jumping up and down on a big matted platform surrounded by metal springs is great for practicing somersaults — and injuring yourself. 'I'm convinced trampoline parks are owned by orthopedic surgeons,' wrote the partner of an ER doctor in the comment section. 'Ortho wife here there's at least one kid a week in the clinic due to the trampoline park,' agreed another, adding a money emoji. Idelson, who has four children of his own, echoed the sentiment. 'There's the age-old saying that 'if you want to meet your local ER team – buy a trampoline,' he tells The Independent. 'Trampolines are a ton of fun… but the reality is, they're very dangerous for many reasons.' With summer approaching fast both Idelson and Singh warn people to 'stay vigilant' against the presence of ticks in clothing if hiking or in nature – as tick-borne diseases are common, and can be serious if not treated quickly. Reported tick sightings are nearly double already this year, with experts believing this may be our worst season yet. People are often scared to take ticks off by themselves, Singh says, though it's perfectly possible to do. 'Use tweezers, grab close to where it's attached to the skin and just give it a good twist and pull up and usually like that,' she says. Make sure to give them a strong tug, as it can often be difficult to remove them, she adds. To prevent needing to pull one out, wear the right clothing, including items that cover your arms and legs appropriately. In her video, Edwards apologized to dietitians before revealing that her husband does not care about drinking energy drinks – though several actually jumped in to agree. 'I don't care about energy drinks. Some days they are the only thing giving me the will to live,' wrote one, with another adding: 'I don't give a rip about energy drinks as long as someone doesn't regularly exceed 400 mg caffeine per day and the drink is low sugar or sugar free.' Caution is needed though, says Idelson, noting that some drinks can have the equivalent caffeine of five cups of coffee. 'We see a lot of people, particularly in the emergency department, coming in with arrhythmias of the heart because they're drinking too much [caffeine],' he says. A big no-no for ER doctors is taking acetaminophen (commonly sold as Tylenol) after drinking alcohol to help ward off a hangover. Both substances are processed by the liver, and alcohol can get in the way of the liver safely metabolizing the substance, which can lead to liver damage or even failure in serious cases. Ibuprofen, on the other hand, is not cleared by the liver – but you should still be careful. In excess, Ibuprofen can lead to ulcers of the stomach and gastrointestinal bleeds. But the key is always moderation. 'The reality is, one time, if you're drinking alcohol and you take some Tylenol and you have normal liver function, it's obviously not going to hurt you,' Idelson says. Keeping dogs near children is also of concern to ER doctors, with around two million children being bitten each year, according to the University of Rochester Medical Center. Dog bites are 'very common,' says Singh. 'The most important thing is to know if that dog is fully up to date with their vaccines.' While facial bites can be quite severe and disfiguring, those in other areas, including hands, carry a higher risk of infection. Singh adds that people should be discouraged from feeding 'wild animals' such as raccoons and squirrels. 'People like to feed them for some reason… we probably shouldn't encourage that, because those kinds of animals possibly carry rabies,' she says. Another source of concern for Edwards' husband is glitter – which is hard to remove from the eyes of small children. While he hasn't personally seen the dangers of glitter first-hand, Idelson cautions against the presence of marbles and beads around young ones. 'Kids love to stick them up their nose,' he says. 'And they're very difficult to remove.' The one thing that really scares him though are magnets and button batteries, which Idelson says can be 'potentially life-threatening' if swallowed by children. Magnets can detach and reattach while going down, causing strictures or obstructions. Button batteries, which are small and round, are actually corrosive and can in fact burn holes in the lining of stomachs. 'They look cute and kids like to play with them, but.. they're extremely dangerous and parents need to be super careful,' Idelson says.

US Could Make Childbirth Free, To Tackle Falling Birth Rates
US Could Make Childbirth Free, To Tackle Falling Birth Rates

Newsweek

time6 hours ago

  • Newsweek

US Could Make Childbirth Free, To Tackle Falling Birth Rates

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. America could make childbirth free for privately-insured families, in an effort to tackle declining birth rates. The bipartisan Supporting Healthy Moms and Babies Act, which would designate maternity care as an essential health benefit under the Affordable Care Act, was introduced in the Senate in May. If passed, insurance companies would be required to cover all childbirth-related expenses, including prenatal care, ultrasounds, delivery and postpartum care, without any co-pays or deductibles. Medicaid, America's government‐funded health insurance program, already covers these costs. Democratic New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, who has cosponsored the bill, told Newsweek: "Even with insurance, the costs associated with having a baby can be astronomical, and expenses are even greater for women who have health complications during pregnancy, a high-deductible insurance plan, or gaps in their coverage. By requiring insurance companies to fully cover care throughout pregnancy and a year postpartum, this bill will make childbirth more affordable for families." It comes amid growing concerns about America's population. Fertility rates are projected to average 1.6 births per woman over the next three decades, according to the Congressional Budget Office's latest forecast released this year. This number is well below the replacement level of 2.1 births per woman required to maintain a stable population without immigration. The Donald Trump administration has made this issue one of its priorities, the White House exploring giving women a "baby bonus" of $5,000, according to an April New York Times report. Many trying to tackle this global issue have called for public health policies and financial plans to help make it easier for couples to have children in society. The financial crisis and its effect on housing, inflation and pay is generally named as a major contributor to people's decisions to delay having children, to have fewer children or not to have them at all. Republican Mississippi Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith, who introduced the bill along with Gillibrand, Democratic Virginia Senator Time Kaine and Republican Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, said she hopes her bill will help change this. "Bringing a child into the world is costly enough without piling on cost-share fees that saddle many mothers and families with debt. This legislation would take away some of the burden for childbearing generations," she said in May. "By relieving financial stresses associated with pregnancy and childbirth, hopefully more families will be encouraged to embrace the beautiful gift and responsibility of parenthood." Would Making Childbirth Free Help Birth Rates in America? Pregnancy, childbirth and postpartum care average a total of $18,865 with average out-of-pocket payments totaling $2,854, according to KFF, a nonpartisan health policy research organization, based on data from claims between 2018 and 2022. Financial concerns are repeatedly cited as a reason for not having children. Indeed, just a few days ago, the United Nations Population Fund warned of a global birth rate crisis, after finding that one in five had not had or did not expect to have the number of children they wanted. Some 39 percent said this was because of financial limitations. But Suzanne Bell, who studies fertility and related behaviors with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, said that while "making childbirth cheaper or free is incredibly important," she does not think it will effect the birth rate. "The cost of raising a child, in particular the cost of child care, is very high and far outweighs the cost of childbirth," she told Newsweek. "We desperately need policies that support families with the cost of child care, especially families with low incomes." Beth Jarosz, a senior program director U.S. programs at the Population Reference Bureau, agreed that "reducing health care costs is important, but may not be enough to move the needle on births." "The cost of childbirth is just one of the many costs of having a child, and people are also reeling from the much bigger costs of child care, housing, and other necessities," she told Newsweek. Theodore D Cosco, a research fellow at the University of Oxford's Institute of Population Aging, called the bill "a step in the right direction" but said the same as Bell and Jarosz. "Parents generally aren't deciding whether to have children based on a $3,000 delivery bill, they're looking at the hundreds of thousands of dollars spent actually raising the child," he told Newsweek. But he added: "The policy certainly carries some symbolic weight, signaling bipartisan support for families and could potentially help build momentum for broader reforms, such as child care subsidies or paid parental leave." Photo-illustration by Newsweek/Getty/Canva Is It Just About Money? The other concern is that, while financial concerns are generally accepted as a major contributor to declining birth rates, they are not the lone cause. Bell said that even the policies she calls for "are also unlikely to increase the birth rate, as evidence from other countries with much more supportive policies suggest." Norway is considered a global leader in parental leave and child care policies, and the United Nations International Children's Fund (UNICEF) ranks it among the top countries for family-friendly policies. But it too is facing a birth rate crisis. Norway offers parents 12 months of shared paid leave for birth and an additional year each afterward. It also made kindergarten (similar to a U.S. day care) a statutory right for all children aged one or older in 2008. The government subsidizes the policy to make it possible for "women and men to combine work and family life," as Norway's former Minister of Children, Equality, and Social Inclusion Solveig Horne said at a parental leave event in 2016. And yet, Norway's fertility rate has dropped dramatically from 1.98 children per woman in 2009 to 1.44 children per woman in 2024, according to official figures. The rate for 2023 (1.40) was the lowest ever recorded fertility rate in the country. Financial barriers "are only part of the picture," Cosco said, "psychological, cultural, and structural factors matter too." Newsweek spoke to several experts about Norway specifically, who all cited recent culture changes. For example, "young adults are more likely to live alone" and "young couples split up more frequently than before," Rannveig Kaldager Hart, a senior researcher at the Norwegian Institute of Public Health's Centre for Fertility and Health said. He went on to speak about "intensive parenting," which refers to the modern parenting style in which parents invest time, money and energy into creating successful adults. The expectations of this parenting style "may cause some to postpone or have fewer children than they otherwise would," Hart said. Nevertheless, backers of the American bill seem to believe that it may be part of the solution. "Being pro-family means fostering an economy that makes it feasible to raise a child. But too often, parents find themselves dealing with sky-high medical bills following the birth of a child. This legislation would eliminate out-of-pocket maternity costs for families with private health insurance and prohibit private carriers from imposing cost-sharing on beneficiaries, empowering parents to focus on what matters most," said Hawley.

Woman Wants to Improve Mental Health Before 50th, Then She Dropped 100lbs
Woman Wants to Improve Mental Health Before 50th, Then She Dropped 100lbs

Newsweek

time7 hours ago

  • Newsweek

Woman Wants to Improve Mental Health Before 50th, Then She Dropped 100lbs

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. Growing up in New England in the late 1980s and 1990s, Lisa Fuller recalls a childhood fueled by microwave meals and as she got older, her eating habits shifted to fast food and frequent dining out. By age 30, Fuller was obese. An active day for her amounted to only 1,000 steps, and her lifestyle took a toll not only on her physical health but also on her mental well-being. She relied heavily on medication to manage anxiety, panic disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). "In my forties, I gave up the notion that I would get better and just conceded that this is just how it goes with aging—I would just get fatter and unhealthier until I eventually die," Fuller, a mom of one, told Newsweek. In May 2024, she reached her heaviest weight of 253 pounds. With her 50th birthday approaching in August this year, she decided it was time to make a change. Fuller weighed 253lbs at her heaviest and wore size 28-30 clothing. A more recent image showcasing her size 4 physique, weighing 143lbs. Fuller weighed 253lbs at her heaviest and wore size 28-30 clothing. A more recent image showcasing her size 4 physique, weighing 143lbs. Lisa Fuller/Ultimate Performance "I suddenly felt an overwhelming drive to take back my life and really, truly, make sure I live in the time I have left," she said. "I was tired of being the only fat person in the room, and I hated that my son was 24 and had never seen me healthy." Having never stepped foot inside a gym, Fuller was consuming around 5,000 to 6,000 calories per day. This included more than five cocktails a night. Combined with her history of mental health struggles, she knew she needed support. Living in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, she turned to Ultimate Performance (UP), a global personal training company. Her new routine involved two weekly weight training sessions with her trainer, Konstantinos Koniaris, and walking 10,000 steps per day. Several months later, she added an additional weight training session, increased her steps to between 15,000 and 20,000 daily, and incorporated 30 to 45 minutes of stationary bike cardio four times a week. Her calorie intake has decreased massively, starting at 1,790 calories and eventually reduced down to 1,390 calories. Now it is 1,940 calories per day as she is focusing on building muscle. Today, she rarely drinks alcohol and her diet mainly consists of meat, vegetables or salad, Greek yogurt and nuts. Fuller with her son, 24, and a recent image of her posing in the middle wearing a blue two piece. Fuller with her son, 24, and a recent image of her posing in the middle wearing a blue two piece. Lisa Fuller She said: "I fully expected to fail at this. Because of that, I didn't tell anyone I was doing it. Only a handful of people I worked with, and my spouse and son knew. I didn't want anyone to know because I was sure I would give up, as I had many times before during the past two decades of being obese." But she didn't give up. Exactly one year later, she had dropped 110 pounds, reaching a 143-pound, size 4 body. "To be fit just in time for my 50th is truly unreal—like it doesn't feel real," she told Newsweek. "Even when I started this program, my goal wasn't to get 'fit' because I thought that was impossible. My goal was only to be healthy enough that I wasn't waking up in a panic every night afraid I was going to die." Lisa Fuller with her personal trainer Konstantinos Koniaris in the middle of her journey and recently. Lisa Fuller with her personal trainer Konstantinos Koniaris in the middle of her journey and recently. Ultimate Performance Although the physical benefits were a motivating factor, it's the mental health improvements that have been most profound. "I have a long history of anxiety, panic, and OCD. This became severe enough in the past that I was hospitalized for it in 2009. At that time, I was put on a whole variety of medications and some things worked better than others, but nothing 'fixed' me fully," she said. "I didn't want to live on psych drugs, so I made a big effort to wean off everything I could and do my best to manage what I could without medication." Just before she started the program, Fuller accidentally ran out of her prescription for Prozac, an antidepressant. Though it's not advised to abruptly stop medication, she decided to continue without it since it was already nearly out of her system. "I didn't make a proactive, deliberate choice to stop Prozac because I was starting the program, but it worked out that way by accident. So, I decided to go as long as I could without it," she said. "I honestly thought at most I might make it to two months. And now, six months into my program, not only have I not needed it, but I also haven't even thought about it." Even while on medication, Fuller experienced panic attacks and frequent nighttime awakenings. She told Newsweek: "It used to take me around three hours to fall asleep most nights because my anxiety would be so high at the end of the day. Now I fall asleep almost immediately and only get up to go to the bathroom. And I don't have panic attacks anymore—at night, or in the day. "I never expected this outcome. It wasn't even something I 'hoped' for because, honestly, I didn't think it was a possibility. My focus was on my physical health. I expected I would, in general, feel better mentally, but I didn't expect this. I truly feel like this has given me a second chance at life."

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store