Woman Rescues Stray Cat During Heatwave, Hysterics Over How It Behaves
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
As temperatures soared during a heatwave, one good Samaritan opened her home to a black stray cat looking for respite. What she didn't expect, however, was that her small act of kindness would turn into a viral moment of feline entitlement—and delight the internet in the process.
In a video posted to TikTok, the woman (@ray215228) can be seen lying in bed, laughing as she flips the camera to reveal the cat stretched out and completely at ease. The layered text on the clip reads: "why is it so comfortable laying BELLY UP in my bed?"
With paws in the air and a look of complete serenity on its face, the cat has clearly made itself at home—something that has both charmed and amused over 2 million viewers.
The belly-up position isn't just cute—it's meaningful.
Newsweek previously spoke to Chantal Howard, a certified cat trainer with Feline Focus Training in Ottawa, Canada, who explained the significance of a cat exposing its stomach.
"All of their organs are out in the open – stomach, kidney, heart – as both prey and predator, so for a cat to go on their back and show you their belly, they trust you not to hurt them," Howard said.
A study published in June found that cats sleeping on their left side is likely a survival instinct rather than mere coincidence. After analyzing 408 YouTube videos, researchers discovered that 65 percent of cats preferred the left side—suggesting a deep-rooted evolutionary behavior.
By sleeping this way, a cat keeps its left eye unobstructed, enabling it to quickly scan its surroundings upon waking. This visual input feeds into the brain's right hemisphere, which is responsible for detecting threats and triggering rapid escape responses. Experts believe the behavior has been passed down through generations, including in domestic cats.
TikTok Reacts
A stock image of a comfy black cat.
A stock image of a comfy black cat.
emrayyy/iStock / Getty Images Plus
The moment quickly struck a chord online, amassing over 502,000 likes and nearly 2,700 comments.
One of the top comments, which received 69,800 likes, read: "It's probably the first time in a while he's slept somewhere safe and comfy, makes me sad because he was probably owned by someone at some point but got lost or abandoned, a full feral cat wouldn't even come near humans."
Another viewer sympathized with the kitty's newfound comfort, saying: "He looks like he hasn't slept that comfy in a very long time."
But perhaps the most hilariously accurate comment came from someone who observed the cat's wide-open mouth during slumber: "The mouth open is frying me. He sleeping like he work and pay bills."
Newsweek reached out to @ray215228 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.
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