Everyone Said She'd Never Find a Cat That Likes Being Held—They Were Wrong

Newsweek

28-07-2025

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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A woman who was told she'd never find a cuddly cat proved everyone wrong after sharing a video of her girl cat's morning routine that has melted hearts among social media users.
The heartwarming clip shared on Instagram in July under the username @gabmarygrasso, shows the poster, 27-year-old Gabrielle Grasso, asking her tabby cat, Penny: "Do you want cuddles?"
The 6-year-old kitty answers with a long, heartfelt meow, before climbing onto the windowsill and then leaping in her arms, embracing her in a warm hug with her little paws.
"You'll never find a cat that likes being held. It's just not in their nature.' Well, anyway... this is my and my girl cat's morning routine," reads layover text in the clip. "A real life convo!" the caption says.
Grasso told Newsweek: "People often think cats are aloof and indifferent pets but that couldn't be further from the truth.
"Cats express their love for people in complex ways. Penny happens to express hers through the constant desire to be held and cuddled! She is extremely affectionate and would let me hold her all day if it were possible!"
Cats are known for being solitary and independent, but this doesn't mean they can't be loving and sweet with the people they are bonded to. Some cat owners even describe their cats as being incredibly clingy and never leaving them alone.
But why are some cats more open to humans than others? Kittens raised with a friendly father grow up to be cats that are friendlier toward people compared to those with a non-friendly father, according to PetMD. However, this is only the case when they are also socialized.
Single cats may also seek more love and attention from their humans because they have nobody else to interact with.
Cats can show affection in many different ways. The most obvious is their body language, they will arch against your hands or rub against your legs; they will also meow, purr, or trill; they may place their front paws on you to ask for attention.
Other typical signs of cat's affection include following you around the house; sitting next to you on the couch; sleeping next to (or on top of) you at night; and headbutting you.
Screenshots of the viral video show the poster's cat, Penny, asking to be picked up or cuddles.
Screenshots of the viral video show the poster's cat, Penny, asking to be picked up or cuddles.
@gabmarygrasso
The video quickly went viral on social media and it has so far received over 817,000 views and 112,335 likes.
One user, Sahra.julia, commented: "I honestly don't understand people that say cats aren't affectionate. My cat will start meowing in the middle of the night , just to get me to come out of my room and give her a cuddle. This cat also thinks laying on top of my chest and pushing her fur in my face is the bestest thing in the world."
Kitotterkat added: "Whoever said that hasn't met many cats, mine is like velcro and the only time he doesn't meow is when he's being held."
Do you have funny and adorable videos or pictures of your pet you want to share? Send them to [e-mail] with some details about your best friend and they could appear in our Pet of the Week lineup.